By Ishmael Sallieu Koroma
CASABLANCA, Morocco, October 23, 2026 — The head of Sierra Leone’s ports authority has called for a coordinated African response to cybersecurity threats, urging port authorities across the continent to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and strengthen digital security as technology reshapes maritime trade.
Yankuba Askia Bio, director general of the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority (SLPHA), made the call at the Conference of African Ports (COPAF 2026), held in Casablanca, Morocco, from October 19 to 21.
The conference brought together African port leaders and industry stakeholders to examine how AI and cybersecurity could improve port efficiency, safety and competitiveness.
Held under the theme “African Smart Port: AI and Cybersecurity Driving Performance,” the gathering focused on the growing importance of digital innovation in modernising port operations and protecting critical maritime infrastructure.
Bio led a high-level SLPHA delegation comprising the directors of research, planning and development; technical services; and internal audit and compliance.
During the conference, he also engaged with Abubakarr Dantsoho, director general of the Nigerian Ports Authority, as discussions highlighted the increasingly important role of technology in facilitating trade across Africa.
Addressing his counterparts, Bio said traditional, manual port operations were giving way to smarter, technology-driven systems.
He noted that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which seeks to advance regional economic integration, had increased the importance of ports as critical links in the continent’s expanding trade network.
“If these arteries are clogged by inefficiency or compromised by vulnerability, the entire body of African trade suffers,” Bio said.
Cybersecurity a priority for African ports
Bio highlighted the SLPHA’s strategic shift from reactive management towards predictive intelligence, stressing that cybersecurity should be treated with the same seriousness as physical security.
He pointed to measures such as adopting a “Zero Trust” security architecture and requiring concessionaires to separate operational technology (OT) systems from conventional information technology (IT) networks.
Operational technology systems control physical processes, including cargo-handling operations, while conventional IT networks support information processing and other digital functions.
Separating the two systems is intended to strengthen security by limiting exposure between networks and protecting critical operational processes.
The conference identified artificial intelligence and cybersecurity as two critical pillars of Africa’s future maritime development.
AI was recognised as a tool for improving operational performance and maximising the use of existing port infrastructure, while cybersecurity was highlighted as essential to protecting port systems, national security and economic sovereignty.
Delegates cautioned that ports embracing digital technology without adequate cybersecurity safeguards could expose themselves to greater risks.
They stressed that cyber protection must therefore be treated as a strategic priority rather than solely an information technology concern.
Call for collective African action
Bio encouraged members of the African ports community to strengthen information sharing on the challenges, experiences and successes associated with implementing AI and cybersecurity frameworks.
He emphasised that although the task ahead was considerable, progress would depend on coordinated efforts across the maritime industry.
The conference concluded with a unified call for collective African action in response to increasingly sophisticated and persistent cyber threats facing ports across the continent.
Delegates underscored that no single port or country could effectively address these threats in isolation, highlighting the need for cooperation among African port authorities and industry stakeholders.
The meeting closed with a shared commitment to building smarter, more efficient and more secure African ports, with AI driving operational improvements and robust cybersecurity protecting critical maritime infrastructure.
The conference’s final resolution captured the collective ambition of participants: “The future of African trade is smart. The future of African trade is secure. And the future of African trade is in our hands.”