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The European Union is mobilizing 12 million EUR to secure transport corridors in West and Central Africa

11.12.2025
Praia
Press and information team of the Delegation to Cabo Verde

PRESS RELEASE

Launch of the regional project “SCOPE Africa” 

The European Union is mobilizing 12 million EUR to secure transport corridors in West and Central Africa

 

Lomé (Togo), December 1, 2025 — Togolese authorities, leaders of ten ports in West and Central Africa, representatives of regional organizations, and international partners will meet on December 2 and 3, 2025, in Lomé for the launch seminar of the SCOPE Africa regional project, “Securing Corridors, Ports, and Exchanges in West and Central Africa.”

Funded by the European Union with more than 12 million EUR, this four-year project marks a major step forward in strengthening the safety, security, and performance of ten beneficiary ports across West and Central Africa.

Implemented by a consortium led by Expertise France, in partnership with Enabel, SCOPE Africa aims to reinforce intra-African connectivity to facilitate trade and transport, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development in the region.

The ten strategic ports targeted by SCOPE Africa are located along priority land and sea corridors defined in the European Union's Global Gateway strategy. They include the ports of: Lomé in Togo; Douala and Kribi in Cameroon; Praia in Cape Verde; Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo; Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire; Libreville in Gabon; Monrovia in Liberia; Lagos in Nigeria; and Dakar in Senegal.

As maritime trade in Africa grows at an annual rate of 7%, the ports of the regions face increasing challenges. The acceleration of trade also comes with heightened risks threatening operational continuity and the stability of logistics chains. Port infrastructure is exposed to frequent industrial accidents, criminal and terrorist threats, and rising illicit trafficking. Environmental and climate pressures further underscore the need for urgent and sustainable adaptation.

SCOPE Africa aims to provide appropriate and effective responses to all these challenges, basing its interventions on five key areas:

  • Strengthening compliance with international standards;

  • Enhancing crisis response and management capacities;

  • Professionalizing and training of port stakeholders, with a specific focus on inclusion and gender; 

  • Boosting regional cooperation; 

  • Strengthening regional platforms.

The launch seminar, held at the Hotel 2 Février in Lomé, will bring together around 100 participants from ministries responsible for transport, security, and the blue economy in the countries involved, port authorities from the target ports, regional organizations, technical and financial partners, as well as stakeholders from the private sector and logistics.

The program will feature plenary sessions; thematic panels on operational challenges such as cybersecurity, dangerous goods management, and environmental sustainability; a technical visit to the Autonomous Port of Lomé; and opportunities for dialogue to strengthen regional cooperation.

At the end of the seminar, organizers expect to establish a shared vision aligning national and regional port priorities with the Global Gateway strategy, along with a renewed commitment to strengthening the safety, security, competitiveness, and sustainability of ports in sub-Saharan Africa.