Despite their central role in African trade, ports remain hampered by fragmented, non-comparable data, driving up logistics costs and constraining investment. To address this, the African Development Bank (AfDB) is rolling out the African Ports Connectivity Project, a multilateral initiative aimed at harmonizing data standards and improving port performance across the continent. In this interview with Ecofin Agency, Manuel Ntumba, recently appointed as the program's Project Coordinator and Regional Data Lead, presents the objectives, tools, and expected impacts for ports, regional corridors, and investors.

 Manuel Ntumba: Regional Lead for AfDB’s African Ports Connectivity Project (APC-PP)

Ecofin Agency (EA): The AfDB is rolling out the African Ports Connectivity Project to harmonize data standards and improve port performance. What does the initiative involve in practical terms, and which systemic shortcomings is it designed to address?

Manuel Ntumba: The African Ports Connectivity Project is designed to address a long-standing problem in African ports, namely the lack of reliable and comparable data. For more than two decades, fragmented information systems have made it harder for ports to operate efficiently, assess risks accurately, and attract competitive financing.

The project is financed by the Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance and implemented by the AfDB in partnership with S&P Global Market Intelligence and CPCS. Its objective is to build a common and interoperable data framework covering more than sixty ports across the continent. Today, ports often rely on different definitions, lack consistent historical records, and provide limited or non-auditable data. This distorts performance assessments, weakens risk analysis, and ultimately raises the cost of capital for port investments.

The AfDB and its partners are putting in place a standardized data infrastructure that meets international requirements for transparency, auditability, and risk assessment.

The AfDB and its partners are putting in place a standardized data infrastructure that meets international requirements for transparency, auditability, and risk assessment. This includes a continental Port Data Book, a secure digital platform, and an Africa Port Index based on established S&P Global methodologies, including those used for the Container Port Performance Index developed with the World Bank.

The goal is not only to standardize data. It is also to make port performance comparable, verifiable, and usable for advanced analysis, allowing investors, operators, and policymakers to better price risk, assess efficiency, and mobilize long-term and concessional financing.

EA: You have been appointed Project Coordinator and Regional Data Lead for the APC-PP. How do you see this role, what does it involve in practice, and what concrete results can be expected in the short term?

Manuel Ntumba: I take on this role with a strong focus on discipline and practicality. Today, data quality has become just as important as physical infrastructure when it comes to port performance, risk assessment, and the cost of financing. Poor or unreliable data directly affects operating efficiency, risk pricing, and ultimately the ability of ports to attract long-term investment.

As Project Coordinator and Regional Data Lead, my job is to connect a robust, shared methodology with how African ports actually operate on the ground. That means making sure data is collected consistently, validated properly, and audited in line with international standards for governance, assurance, and risk management.

In practical terms, the role covers designing the data model, defining the key performance indicators, setting up data quality and traceability processes, supporting the pilot ports, and overseeing core outputs such as the Port Data Book, the Africa Ports Portal, and the Africa Port Index.

In the short term, we expect clear, concrete outcomes. These include putting a solid governance framework in place, delivering a first auditable version of the Port Data Book, launching a secure and operational digital portal, and releasing an initial version of the Africa Port Index based on established S&P Global and AfDB analytical methods. Together, these outputs will improve transparency, make due diligence easier for investors, and increase the predictability of African port assets for long-term and institutional financing.

 EA: Data quality is a key part of your role. What are the main challenges around reliability, comparability, and auditability, and how does the project plan to tackle them?

Manuel Ntumba: The main challenges are fairly consistent across the continent and they come down to three issues: reliability, comparability, and auditability of data.

On reliability, many ports are still working with partly manual systems and weak internal controls. As a result, data can be inconsistent over time, which makes it difficult to use for serious performance analysis or for the kinds of quantitative assessments that banks and investors rely on.

When it comes to comparability, the lack of shared standards means ports are often measured in different ways. This makes it hard to build credible benchmarks or to run models that truly reflect how ports are performing operationally.

Many ports are still working with partly manual systems and weak internal controls. As a result, data can be inconsistent over time, which makes it difficult to use for serious performance analysis or for the kinds of quantitative assessments that banks and investors rely on.

Auditability is the third major issue. In many cases, data is not supported by clear documentation, structured metadata, or well-defined responsibility for how figures are produced and validated. That limits investors’ ability to carry out proper due diligence and stress testing, which in turn pushes up risk premiums and the cost of capital.

The project tackles these issues by putting in place a common data framework. This includes a shared data dictionary and glossary, standardized metadata, and clear rules for how data is collected, checked, and validated. Just as importantly, we are investing in capacity building so port teams can gradually take ownership of these processes. The objective is to turn data into a reliable decision-making tool rather than a source of uncertainty.

 EA: The program covers more than eighty African ports. How can better data connectivity and shared standards help improve supply chains, cut costs, and strengthen the competitiveness of regional corridors?

Manuel Ntumba:  Shared and reliable data has a powerful multiplier effect on logistics performance because it reduces friction and uncertainty across the entire supply chain. In Africa, where between 80 and 90 percent of trade moves through ports, fragmented data creates real operational problems. It contributes to congestion, unpredictable waiting times, higher logistics costs, and greater volatility along value chains.

At the corridor level, better data transparency improves what we can call corridor bankability. When information is reliable and comparable, governments and corridor authorities are in a stronger position to structure concessional financing or public-private partnerships.

When ports operate within a harmonized data framework, they can anticipate congestion earlier, manage flows more efficiently, and improve resilience across different transport modes. It also gives shipping lines clearer and more stable signals, which influences how they allocate vessels and plan port calls. That predictability matters a lot for network planning and cost control.

At the corridor level, better data transparency improves what we can call corridor bankability. When information is reliable and comparable, governments and corridor authorities are in a stronger position to structure concessional financing or public-private partnerships. Harmonized data can also significantly reduce logistics costs, in some cases by 20 to 30 percent, depending on the corridor. This comes from smoother operations, better asset management, and improved investor confidence. In that sense, data becomes a key driver of corridor competitiveness and an important signal for mobilizing long-term capital.

EA: The Abidjan workshop held in July 2024 identified several priorities, including the Port Data Book, a secure web portal, and the Africa Port Index. How are these tools expected to respond to the concrete needs of port authorities and governments?

Manuel Ntumba: The Abidjan workshop was an important step because it helped align institutions around a clear set of practical priorities. The objective was to move from a broad strategic vision to tools that ports and governments can actually use on a day-to-day basis.

The Port Data Book is designed to provide a consolidated and reliable picture of port infrastructure, capacity, and performance. For governments, investors, and shipping lines, it offers a single, auditable, and comparable reference that supports policy decisions, investment planning, and operational analysis.

The secure web portal is the digital backbone of the project. It enables continuous data collection while meeting international standards for cybersecurity, confidentiality, and operational reliability. This gives port authorities a trusted platform to manage and share data without compromising security.

The Africa Port Index, which is built on S&P Global’s methodologies, serves as an objective benchmarking tool. Its purpose is not to penalize ports, but to highlight performance gaps, encourage continuous improvement, and support more informed investment decisions. Together, these tools help governments better align port policy, corridor development, and financing strategies on the basis of accurate, transparent, and audited data, reducing the risks that come from decisions based on incomplete or unreliable information.

EA: The project is financed by the MCDF and hosted by the AIIB, which brings it into a demanding multilateral environment. How does this institutional setup shape implementation, standards, and transparency expectations for port authorities?

Manuel Ntumba: MCDF financing, which is administered through the AIIB, comes with a very clear and demanding set of requirements. These reflect international best practices in areas such as governance, risk management, transparency, and cybersecurity. Although the grant, at around two million dollars, is relatively modest in size, it carries strict obligations in terms of reporting, internal controls, documentation, and compliance. For port authorities, this means raising their institutional standards to meet those requirements.

In practical terms, the framework pushes ports to adopt more rigorous approaches to data quality, verification, traceability, and documentation. This aligns their practices more closely with what international investors and development finance institutions expect when assessing risk.

While this can feel restrictive at first, it ultimately acts as a catalyst for institutional modernization. Stronger standards improve risk perception, enhance the credibility of port assets, and make it easier to mobilize additional financing, particularly for large and capital-intensive infrastructure projects. In that sense, the MCDF-AIIB framework helps reduce uncertainty for financial backers and supports the gradual alignment of African ports with global norms.

EA:  Building a shared data language is challenging, especially given the wide differences in digital maturity across African ports. How do you plan to encourage the adoption of common standards and support the pilot ports? And how does your own background help you lead this transition?

Manuel Ntumba: Building a shared data language requires a gradual and differentiated approach. Ports are starting from very different levels of digital maturity, so the objective is not to impose a single model, but to create a pathway that allows each port to progress in a structured and realistic way. We work closely with regional port management associations to ensure coordination at the institutional level and to support a steady alignment of standards across regions.

In practical terms, the methodology starts with a core set of essential indicators that all ports can report, regardless of their digital capacity. On that foundation, we then develop more advanced modules for ports that already have more mature systems. The pilot ports receive intensive support, including targeted training, technical assistance, integrated documentation, and structured capacity-building programs. We also rely on peer-learning mechanisms so that good practices spread naturally among ports facing similar operational challenges.

Building a shared data language requires a gradual and differentiated approach. Ports are starting from very different levels of digital maturity, so the objective is not to impose a single model, but to create a pathway that allows each port to progress in a structured and realistic way.

My background is a real asset in managing this type of transition. I have worked within multilateral organizations such as the GEF, the World Bank, and several UN agencies, as well as with institutions and programs including Airbus Intelligence, GIZ and BMZ, and the EU-Africa Joint Satellite Navigation Programme. These experiences exposed me early on to complex governance frameworks, compliance requirements, risk management systems, and data-driven decision-making in capital-intensive infrastructure projects.

In parallel, through Tod’EArs Global Network and its Global Development Policy Initiative, we advise governments, public institutions, and private-sector actors on development policy, digital transformation, technological innovation, and geostrategic issues. This work is carried out under the guidance of a Governing Board composed of senior figures with extensive experience in international finance, public policy, and corporate governance, which reinforces the analytical and institutional rigor of our approach.

As a Managing Partner at Tod’EArs Global Network, I have developed strong expertise in technical diplomacy, inter-institutional coordination, and risk modeling. This allows me to design operational frameworks that meet the expectations of financial backers while remaining compatible with the operational constraints of ports on the ground. Ultimately, the goal is to turn African port data into a sustainable strategic asset that supports trust, predictability, and long-term competitiveness.