Thursday, November 5, 2026
Blue Africa Conference & Exhibition · 12th -14th August 2027 · Lagos, Nigeria
Blue News
Experts see new trade opportunities but warn of hurdles in Tanzania-Angola rail plan
Tanzania president Suluhu announced the plan is to link Angola’s Benguela Railway with the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA) connecting the Lobito Corridor to the Central Corridor and the port of Dar es Salaam.
Suez Canal, Lagos Free Zones make global top 10
Suez Canal is a special economic and industrial hub in Egypt established in September 2015, while Lagos Free Zone covers an area of 860 hectares, fully equipped with world-class infrastructure.
Mauritania’s blue economy potential extends beyond its rich fishing grounds
Mauritanian waters attract distant-water fishing nations as well as vessels operating under other licensing arrangements, with the economic importance of Mauritania's fishing grounds being evident in negotiations over access by foreign fleets.
Indonesia offers 48 training opportunities to MOWCA member states
The Indonesia-MOWCA programmes are designed to strengthen maritime education, improve professional competence and enhance the training across West and Central Africa.
Ivory Coast banks on skills training to unlock blue economy jobs
The West African country has a range of opportunities spanning traditional maritime industries and emerging offshore activities, offering new prospects to Ivorian youth.
Finance and Insurance
Dangote targets $100 billion turnover by 2030 with Afreximbank backing
The Dangote refinery is supplying fuel to several African countries amid the Middle East disruptions, signifying the importance of the Dangote Group to Africa’s economy.
Cabo Verde to upgrade ports with European Investment Bank funding
The funding demonstrates Cabo Verde’s potential to actively compete in the global economic systems.
2025 a big year for the Lobito Corridor as it secures US$753 million rail financing
The United States of America (USA), through the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has signed a US$753 million loan agreement for the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) to support the rehabilitation and operation of the brownfield mineral port in Lobito.
Comoros charts course for growth with maritime corridor
The Union of Comoros has launched a US$137 million maritime corridor and regional trade facilitation project, financed by the African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Meta and Safaricom chart new depths in Africa’s digital connectivity
Meta, the parent company which owns Facebook and other social media platforms, has entered into a deal with Safaricom, Kenya’s largest telecommunications provider to bring its second submarine cable to the East African nation.
Mining
South Africa bolsters iron ore logistics with new Saldanha infrastructure
Saldanha Iron Ore Terminal has grown into a strategic national asset that handles approximately 96% of South Africa’s iron ore exports.
Guinea is now an iron ore powerhouse, assured by Simandou, a $20 billion mining investment
Guinea’s Simandou project has commenced commercial operations. In early December, a deep-sea vessel carrying 200,000 tonnes of high-grade iron ore departed Guinea’s Port of Maretapa for China, marking the first shipment from the Simandou project.
New era in offshore diamond recovery as Debmarine Namibia unveils next-gen crawlers
The state-of-the-art crawlers are said to represent the pinnacle...
Ecology & Science
Nigeria and Norway explore satellite tracking to combat illegal fishing
Norway offers a potential learning model for Nigeria through its combination of fisheries legislation, vessel monitoring, fleet management and international cooperation against IUU fishing.
African penguins get a boost from Cape Town mayor
The Executive Mayor of the City of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, has praised the city’s partnership with the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), describing it as a tailor-made initiative aimed at protecting South Africa’s seabird populations.
Fisheries
Maersk direct calls to boost Liberia’s maritime connectivity and trade
Previously without a direct call, cargo destined for Liberia would pass through other regional ports, where containers are transferred from one vessel to another before proceeding to Monrovia.
Experts see new trade opportunities but warn of hurdles in Tanzania-Angola rail plan
Tanzania president Suluhu announced the plan is to link Angola’s Benguela Railway with the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA) connecting the Lobito Corridor to the Central Corridor and the port of Dar es Salaam.
DP World expands China-Africa shipping network with new weekly service
The new service will operate the Shanghai (China) – Ningbo (China) – Nansha (China) – Port Klang Westport (Malaysia) – Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) – Maputo (Mozambique) – Singapore – Shanghai (China) rotation.
African satellite capacity would close maritime surveillance gaps – expert
With Africa sitting on the Equator, one of the best places on earth to launch satellites from, expert Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba says the continent should be “designing, launching, and operating the systems that watch over our own oceans within our own continent.”
KPA steps up Mombasa, Lamu expansion plans to handle projected cargo growth
The planned investments include the redevelopment of existing conventional and multipurpose cargo berths, the construction of additional container terminal berths at the Port of Mombasa, and the development of new berths at the Port of Lamu.
Port and Logistics
Experts see new trade opportunities but warn of hurdles in Tanzania-Angola rail plan
Tanzania president Suluhu announced the plan is to link Angola’s Benguela Railway with the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA) connecting the Lobito Corridor to the Central Corridor and the port of Dar es Salaam.
KPA steps up Mombasa, Lamu expansion plans to handle projected cargo growth
The planned investments include the redevelopment of existing conventional and multipurpose cargo berths, the construction of additional container terminal berths at the Port of Mombasa, and the development of new berths at the Port of Lamu.
Port digitalisation emerges as key to Africa’s maritime competitiveness
A recent digitalisation workshop in Accra, Ghana, sought to, and scale up the implementation of Maritime Single Windows (MSWs) and Port Community Systems (PCSs).
Transnet sets new world record with 7.6km freight train
Transnet’s record-breaking train featured two coaches, with 13 locomotives placed interspersed across the 696 wagons, while the entire train weighed 15,830 tonnes.
KPA, UNCTAD training programme opens new opportunities for port professionals
Twenty staff drawn from various Kenya Ports Authority divisions are currently undergoing the UNCTAD training, before becoming trainers to facilitate similar training in various countries where the programme runs.
Energy
Court clears way for Dangote’s $16 billion Lamu refinery groundbreaking
Several heads of state and government from the East Africa region and beyond expected to attend the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the Dangote East Africa Refinery in Lamu, Kenya.
Tantalizers deal points to opportunities in Nigerian fisheries business
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) has indicated that the acquisition remains subject to regulatory approvals, valuation processes, and the completion of legal and commercial due diligence.
Major step for Ghana’s energy future unveiled abroad
The Ghana flagged 40,000 cubic meters LPG carrier reinforces Sahara Group’s commitment to integrated infrastructure hinged on reliability, security and long term impact.
Kharas-1 success offers new insights into Namibia’s oil exploration
Namibia is rapidly emerging as Africa’s oil and gas exploration ‘hotspot,’ driven by a string of major discoveries and successful drilling operations across the Southern African nation.
Dangote’s billion-dollar push to transform Zimbabwe’s industrial and energy landscape
Africa’s richest man, Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote has signed a landmark US$1 billion investment agreement with Zimbabwe, marking one of the most significant private-sector investments in the country in recent years.
Jobs and Learning
MOWCA, Indonesia partnership helps chart new course for Africa’s maritime future
The Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) has strengthened its maritime capacity development drive through a partnership with the government of Indonesia, resulting in successful training of instructors and assessors from member states.
Shipping
Maersk direct calls to boost Liberia’s maritime connectivity and trade
Previously without a direct call, cargo destined for Liberia would pass through other regional ports, where containers are transferred from one vessel to another before proceeding to Monrovia.
DP World expands China-Africa shipping network with new weekly service
The new service will operate the Shanghai (China) – Ningbo (China) – Nansha (China) – Port Klang Westport (Malaysia) – Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) – Maputo (Mozambique) – Singapore – Shanghai (China) rotation.
Liberia calls for equitable transition to green shipping
Liberia’s objective is to advance a greener, safer and more sustainable shipping industry, while respecting the legitimate development aspirations and circumstances of all nations.
Sierra Leone enters shipping business in push to capture more value from maritime trade
Sierra Leone's president said the country had long depended on foreign shipping companies to transport its mineral resources, agricultural produce and imported goods, noting that the establishment of SLOSCo will help change the trajectory.
Second cargo shipment advances Dangote’s Lamu refinery project
The arrival of MV Great Glory at the Port of Lamu with assorted heavy machinery marked another milestone in the mobilisation construction material for the project.
© Newspaper WordPress Theme by TagDiv