Best Performing West African Ports?
To identify the best West African ports in terms of TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), we shall focus on container handling capacity and throughput, as TEUs specifically measure containerized cargo volume. Based on the most recent trends and available data up to March 10, 2025, here’s an analysis of the top west African ports ranked by TEU performance:
Port of Lomé (Togo)
TEU Insight: Lomé has consolidated its position as a leading transshipment hub in West Africa. It handled 1.5 million TEUs in 2019, and by 2022, reports indicate it reached 2.2 million TEUs. Given its growth trajectory and investments (e.g., $380 million from Terminal Investment Limited), it likely processes around 2.3-2.5 million TEUs annually by 2025.
Why It Stands Out: Its deep-water capacity (16.6 meters) and role serving landlocked countries like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso make it a regional powerhouse. It’s often cited as West Africa’s busiest port in TEU terms.
Port of Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
TEU Insight: Historically handling 610,000 TEUs annually pre-expansion, Abidjan’s second container terminal (opened 2022) boosted its capacity to 2.5 million TEUs. By 2023, it processed around 1 million TEUs, with potential to reach 1.5-2 million TEUs by 2025 as operations scale up.
Why It Stands Out: As West Africa’s largest port by some metrics, its modern infrastructure (three container berths, one Ro-Ro berth) and connectivity to landlocked nations enhance its TEU throughput.
Port of Lekki (Nigeria)
TEU Insight: Operational since 2023, Lekki is designed to handle 2.5 million TEUs annually. While still ramping up, it processed an estimated 400,000 TEUs in its first year and could approach 1-1.5 million TEUs by 2025, given its ability to handle vessels exceeding 18,000 TEUs.
Why It Stands Out: As Nigeria’s first deep-water port, it’s decongesting Lagos and positioning itself as a transshipment hub, with significant growth potential.
Port of Tema (Ghana)
TEU Insight: Tema processed 1.2 million TEUs in 2022 post its $1.5 billion expansion (2015), which enabled it to handle next-generation ships. Its capacity is estimated at 1.5-2 million TEUs, with current throughput likely around 1.3-1.5 million TEUs in 2025.
Why It Stands Out: Its strategic location and modern facilities support Ghana’s trade (cocoa, gold) and regional logistics, making it a TEU leader.
Port of Lagos (Apapa and Tin Can Island, Nigeria)
TEU Insight: Historically, Lagos handled around 1.5 million TEUs annually (e.g., 1.21 million cited in 2020), but congestion and competition from Lekki may have reduced this to 1-1.2 million TEUs by 2025.
Why It Stands Out: Despite inefficiencies, it remains Nigeria’s busiest port complex, processing significant container volumes for West Africa’s largest economy.
Port of Dakar (Senegal)
TEU Insight: In 2008, when DP World began operations, the Port of Dakar handled 265,000 TEUs annually. By 2022, this had increased to 738,000 TEUs, reflecting a 200% productivity boost due to nearly $300 million in investments.
A record-breaking month was March 2023, with 76,282 TEUs handled, the highest single-month throughput since DP World’s tenure began. For the full year of 2023, estimates suggest around 750,000-800,000 TEUs, based on the upward trend and reported growth.
Recent Data (2024)
A post early 2025 indicated that the Port Autonome de Dakar (PAD) processed 881,289 TEUs in 2024, a significant jump from prior years, aligning with a reported 10.1% increase in maritime activity for November 2024 per Senegal’s National Agency of Statistics and Demography (ANSD).
2025 Estimate
Assuming continued growth (e.g., 6-8% annually as reported for 2024), the port could be handling 900,000-950,000 TEUs by now, though this is speculative without March 2025 data.
Ranking Context
In the 2023 CPPI (Container Port Performance Index), Dakar ranked 381st globally, lagging behind peers like Abidjan and Tema, suggesting efficiency challenges despite volume growth.
