Port authorities across West Africa reported some of the strongest container volumes on record for the first half of 2026, with Tema, Lagos and Abidjan each posting year-on-year growth as intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) continued to build momentum.
Officials at the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority said Tema handled close to nine percent more twenty-foot equivalent units than the same period last year, driven largely by transshipment cargo bound for landlocked neighbours in the Sahel. Nigerian and Ivorian terminal operators reported similar gains, though congestion at some inland clearance points has slowed the pace at which the extra volume reaches end markets.
Analysts tracking the region say the growth reflects a broader shift as shippers diversify routings across multiple West African gateways rather than concentrating cargo at a single hub, a trend port authorities have encouraged through coordinated scheduling and, in some cases, shared vessel-tracking data.
Trade officials meeting later this year are expected to review whether current corridor infrastructure — road, rail and border-post capacity — can keep pace with the volumes now moving through the region's ports.