Antwerp and Dakar port authorities plan to collaborate more closely in the next few years as they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Senegal on March 2, 2018.

As informed, Dakar has set sights on building a new port 50 km away from the present facility which, with a keel depth of 18 meters, will be able to handle the latest generation of giant container carriers. Together with the new port, Dakar also plans an economic and logistics zone of 600 hectares.

“We will make use of our experience and expertise to help Dakar realise its ambitions,” Kristof Waterschoot, CEO of two subsidiaries of Antwerp Port Authority (PAI and APEC), said after the signature.

A recent report by the World Bank underlines the economic potential of the continent but also points up a number of challenges such as the lack of sufficiently trained personnel, according to the Port of Antwerp Authority.

“We will immediately step in to fill this gap, by sharing our know-how and expertise. Our training centre APEC remains the partner of choice for training maritime professionals, while our consultancy subsidiary PAI will assist the port authority with the necessary expertise for developing a multipurpose terminal and deepening the approach channels so as to maximise the capacity of the port of Dakar,” Waterschoot added.

The MoU also contains a number of commitments in the area of marketing, developing trade relations, organizing joint commercial events and exchanging information on subjects such as customs & excise, security and sustainability.

With an annual freight volume of 17 million tons, Dakar is one of the largest ports on the coast of West Africa. This port city is located at the crossroads of sailing routes between Europe and North and South America and southern Africa.