By Rose Aba Akafo
Director General of the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority (SLPHA), Yankuba Askia Bio, has called on African port authorities to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and strengthen cybersecurity to improve efficiency, protect critical infrastructure and boost the continent’s trade competitiveness.
Speaking at the Conference of African Ports (COPAF 2026) in Casablanca on Tuesday, Bio stated that efficient, secure ports are essential to facilitating trade, connecting African economies and advancing regional integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“If these arteries are clogged by inefficiency or compromised by vulnerability, the entire body of African trade suffers,” Bio said, describing ports as vital links in Africa’s economic system.
He also highlighted the importance of moving towards predictive intelligence and treating cybersecurity with the same seriousness as physical security, calling on port authorities to share expertise and best practices to address emerging digital threats and improving operational performance.
COPAF 2026 brought together port institutions and industry experts to examine how AI, automation, data governance and digital security can modernise African ports.
Organised by CRF Perfection under the joint aegis of the Association of Ports Management of West and Central Africa (AGPAOC) and the Union of African Port Authorities (UAPNA), COPAF 2026, held from Oct. 19-21, under the theme “African Smart Port: AI and Cybersecurity Driving Performance,” seeks to address the growing dependence of ports on connected systems to manage cargo, logistics and other essential operations. The conference recognises that while digital tools can help predict congestion, improve maintenance and speed up services, cyberattacks can disrupt operations, compromise information and affect supply chains beyond national borders.
For Sierra Leone, the discussions offer an opportunity to strengthen port resilience as digitalisation becomes increasingly important to trade and logistics. Greater efficiency and security at ports, Bio noted, can help reduce delays, protect commercial operations and support the country’s participation in regional and international markets.
“Africa’s ports must modernise while working together to protect the infrastructure on which the continent’s trade depends,” Bio concluded.
