• Abidjan port handles 46.6 million tons in 2025
• Leads in conventional freight, trails Tema and Lomé containers
• Growth driven by domestic demand, Sahel transit rebound

Port of Abidjan handled 46.6 million metric tons of cargo in 2025, up 16.1% from 2024, cementing its position as West Africa’s leading port by volume. The figures, however, show a more nuanced picture: the Ivorian hub dominates conventional freight but trails regional rivals in container traffic.

Abidjan Leads in Overall Volume and Conventional Freight

Unlike Togo’s port of Lomé, whose 30.6 million metric tons in 2024 were largely driven by transshipment operations accounting for 20.2 million tons, Abidjan’s volumes are more closely tied to domestic demand. National traffic, the main growth driver, reached 34.2 million tons in 2025, up 19.8%, according to port authority data. Growth came from dry bulk, liquid bulk and general cargo.

This structure gives Abidjan a more stable and resilient volume base, as it depends less on the routing decisions of major international shipping lines.

Lomé and Tema Ahead in Containers

In container traffic, competition still favors Tema and Lomé. While consolidated overall figures for Ghana’s port have not yet been released, Tema handled 2.2 million TEUs in 2025. Lomé surpassed 2.06 million TEUs in 2024, pending official 2025 data.

Abidjan handled 1.6 million TEUs in 2025, remaining behind both rivals. The gap reflects the stronger transshipment focus developed by Lomé and Tema.

Industry, Trade and Energy Drive Growth

Abidjan’s expansion rests on Côte d’Ivoire’s economic momentum. Imports of industrial inputs, construction materials and capital goods supported volumes, while petroleum products and other energy cargoes remained a structural pillar of traffic, reinforcing the port’s role in the country’s supply chain.

Transit traffic to the Sahel also rebounded. Flows to and from Mali rose 76.4% in 2025 to 1.47 million tons, from 835,216 tons a year earlier. Traffic linked to Burkina Faso increased 16.6% to 2,400,111 tons, compared with 2,058,803 tons in 2024.

However, flows to members of the Alliance of Sahel States, namely Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, have remained uneven since 2023 despite the recovery. Political tensions and ECOWAS sanctions have pushed those countries to diversify supply routes.

Beyond intensifying regional competition and geopolitical volatility reshaping Sahelian corridors, Abidjan faces structural constraints that could weigh on its competitiveness. These include periodic road congestion, weak rail connectivity and land pressure around the port zone.

Henoc Dossa