West African ports see higher container volumes and rising congestion
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Drewry recorded a 19.4% year‑on‑year increase in West African regional container throughput last year, while MSC launched 24,000‑teu vessels on its Africa Express service in April, calling at Lomé, Tema, Abidjan and Kribi by May.
Douala operated at 102% utilisation with volumes up 48% year on year, and Conakry, Dakar, Lomé and Pointe‑Noire were between 81% and 84% utilised. During the summer peak, Tema experienced four‑to‑seven‑day congestion and remains around a six‑day delay, while average vessel wait times at Abidjan rose from 0.4 days in February to 2.2 days by the end of August. DP World’s $340 million investment in the Dakar terminal increased throughput from 265,000 teu in 2008 to 850,000 teu in 2025 and cut vessel wait times from 35 hours to near zero.