The Director General of Ghana Ports and Harbors’ Authority, Michael Luguje, has taken up the mantle as president of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa. He took over from Jorge Mauricio, Director General of the Cape Verde Port, who served as president of PMAWCA from 2017 to 2019.
This appointment was announced at the 40th Council Meeting and Conference of the Ports Management Association of West and Central Africa in Lomé, Togo.
The newly-appointed president of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa, Michael Luguje, had previously served as Secretary General of the Association from 2012 to 2018 – when he proposed and implemented key reforms of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa.
Michael Luguje, as Secretary General of PMAWCA, provided global port sector inputs to help African ports to reposition themselves and look beyond direct port business, and to mainstream trade facilitation and business development as part of their overall objectives.
Michael Luguje said his vision is to create concrete structures for reforms the Association has embarked on.
“We are going to build on all the gates that we have been able to have for the last 10 years, because the reform agenda started before, I took over. I came in to build in concrete structures that have pushed us forward.”
Jorge Mauricio, the outgoing president of the Association, at the 40th Council Meeting of PMAWCA said the Association is in a stronger state now than some years back, and believes Michael Luguje is even more poised to elevate the Association for the coordinated management and development of member-ports.
“I believe this conference is unique, and I believe that they are trying to solve African problems with African solutions,” opined the Director of Keta Port, Alexander Adusei.
“The attitude of all participants was impressive, and we have agreed that there is more room for automation at our ports to improve efficiency,” added Esther Gyebi Donkor, GM Marketing and Corporate Affairs-GPHA.