USTDA Organizes US-Africa Port Modernization Briefing in Arlington

On 16 September 2026, the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) hosted a business briefing on port modernization targeted at Africa. For the occasion, the US government invited port senior officials from African countries to the USA for a study tour.

The reverse trade mission included officials from Angola, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal who were in the US from 12 to 19 September 2026. During their stay, they had the opportunity to travel and tour key American maritime hubs such as New York, New Jersey, Liberty Bayonne, and Wilmington to witness first-hand how state-of-the-art ports operate.

The Briefing focused on three areas: automation, cybersecurity and efficiency. To improve throughput, ports are transitioning from manual cargo handling to automated logistics systems. In such a highly digitalized environment, the issue of cybersecurity cannot be overlooked. The US is particularly concerned about port efficiency as it strives to diversify its importing from and exporting to the African market.

The Kenya Pors Authority is undergoing a major digitalization process at Mombasa port to position it as the preferred gateway to East Africa. Similarly, several ports in Nigeria often experience delays. Therefore, USTDA is working closely with the Nigerian government to automate the operations of four major ports, namely Onne, Rivers, Delta and Calabar. In Senegal, USTDA is financially backing the upgrade in cybersecurity for the Dakar hub, which serves as entry and exit for the landlocked Sahel countries.

The Port of Lobito stands on its own as the terminal for the Lobito Corridor, in which the US and EU are both heavily invested to guarantee supply of the #CriticalMinerals. There is ample economic motivation to ensure that the Lobito Port operates in a safe and efficient manner.