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Autonomous Port of Cotonou 

Port Overview: 

The port of Cotonou (PAC) is among the most important ports of West Africa, alongside Abidjan, Lagos, Lomé and Tema. It is strategically located at 150 km east and west of the Nigerian complex Lagos-Apapa and the transhipment port of Lomé; in 2020, the port have handled a volume of 10 million tonnes (mt) of annual freight and 500,000 containers. In addition to serving as a preferred supply channel for the market internally, the PAC has a sub-regional role. It serves landlocked countries such as Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso for which it constitutes an important transit port. The port has a free zone available to landlocked Sahelian countries, mainly Niger. The PAC plays also the role of relay port for the Nigerian economy, which is the second largest transit volume after Niger. 

 

The PAC trades with Europe, North and South America and Asia, making Cotonou a "warehouse city" generating intense trade, handling and logistics activity. 

The government is closely working with the bilateral and multilateral partners to build the capacity of a second-deep terminal called Seme (not yet active), existing between Cotonou and Nigeria border: Seme Port 

Seme Terminal  
Port Authority: Seme Terminal 
Country: Benin - BEN 
Country time zone: +1 
Port time zone: GMT +1 
Latitude: 06° 15.0' N 
Longitude: 02° 40.0' E 
Current status : Port Closed 
UNCTAD : BJSEM 

Autonome Port of Cotonou website    

Key port information may also be found here.  

 

PORT LOCATION & CONTACT 

Country: 

Benin  

Province or District: 

Cotonou, Littoral Department  

Town or City: 

(Nearest location with distance from port) 

Km:0 

Port's Complete Name: 

Port Autonome de Cotonou 

Latitude: 

6° 21' 00” N. 

Longitude: 

2° 25' 59” E. 

Managing Company or Port Authority: 

(If more than one operator, break down by area of operation) 

Port of Antwerp Bruges  

Management Contact Person: 

Didier HOUNGBEDJI 

Chef Service Commercial 

Port Autonome de Cotonou,  

dhoungbedji@pac.br/ contact@pac.bj  
  +229 290 25 78 95/ +229 21 31 28 93 

Nearest Airport and Airlines: 

(Airlines with frequent international arrivals/departures) 

Airport Name: Cotonou Cadjehoun Airport 

Airlines: Air Burkina; Air Côte d’Ivoire; Air France; Air Mali; Arik Air; ASKY Airlines; Brussels Airlines; Camair-Co; Ceiba Intercontinental Airlines; COTAIR; Cronos Airlines; Ethiopian Airlines; Interair South Africa; Karinou Airlines; Kenya Airlines; Mauritania Airlines International; Royal Air Maroc; Air Sénégal; South African Airways; Toumai Air Chad; Trans Air Congo; Westair Benin, Rwandair 

Cargo Airlines: Air France Cargo 

 

 

 

Port Picture:  

image-20240213115332-1

       image-20240213115332-2 

Description and Contacts of Key Companies 

In the deep-sand accumulation of sand, the Port of Cotonou offers the great advantage of providing the ships with a sheltered body of water, which can enable them to carry out commercial and refuelling operations under excellent conditions.  

The Cotonou Port Authority is a governmental entity that manages the port. For handling and manual labour SOBEMAP is a state-owned company that maintains monopoly for conventional handling, while Maersk and Bolloré competes in container handling through their subsidiaries COMAN and SMTC. A complete list of port partners, transit companies and more can be consulted at https://portdecotonou.bj/communaute-portuaire/  

This provision contributes to the efficiency of the Port and the speed of stopovers. The Port of Cotonou is an economic space where several structures take charge of the operations necessary for the passage of ships, people and goods. The target of this research is not only to measure the performance of the PAC but also to show the contribution for the emergence of the Benin by enumerating some perspectives or initiatives. 

 

Port Performance: 

The different dimensions of the port of Cotonou are as follows: 

  • Port area: 120 ha. 

  • Limit of port jurisdiction on land: 1.62 km²; 

  • Area of navigable waters of the port: 1.8 km²; 

  • Limit of offshore port jurisdiction: 12 nautical miles (including the zone compulsory pilotage, the harbor and the anchorage area); 

  • Total platform: 2,951.73 m; 

  • Tidal range: - 0.2 to 1.8 m; 

  • Draft of the largest vessel: 13.5 m; 

  • Maximum draft: 15 m; And 

  • Length of the largest vessel: 300 m (larger vessel size when current work is completed). 

 

 

After the work, the new PAC should (1) have replaced its old infrastructure, adapted vessel access to the market demand (depth of 15m and length per station of 340m); (2) containerized cargo ship, vessels of 340m and 14m draft, handling capacity annual 1.8 to 2.0 million TEU; (3) created modern terminals adapted to demand and with increased capacity; (4) hydrocarbons: increase in vessel capacity and storage capacity; (5) added a dedicated Ro-Ro berth. 

 

This should allow the port to operate more effectively in the coming years and its capacity as forecasted by 2027 will pass from about 20 million Tonnes to 25 million. 

SAISONAL PERIOD IN BENIN 

Départements 

Saisons Sèches 

Saisons pluvieuses 

Alibori 

November - April 

May- October 

Atacora 

November - April 

May- October 

Borgou 

November - April 

May- October 

Donga 

November - April 

May- October 

Collines 

December - March  

April- July 

August 

September, November 

Zou 

December - March 

April - July 

August 

September, November 

Plateau 

December - March 

April - July 

August 

September, November 

Couffo 

December - March 

April – July 

August 

September, November 

Mono 

December - March 

April - July 

Août 

Septembre Novembre 

Atlantique 

December - March  

April - July 

August 

September, November 

Ouéme 

December - March 

April - July 

August 

September November 

Littoral 

December - Mars  

April- July 

August 

September, November 

 

On the other hand, the stores and other facilities made available to the customers are 

SEASONAL CONSTRAINTS 

 

Yes / No 

From <month> to <month> 

Rainy Season 

Yes 

May to Mi-November 

Major Import Campaigns 

Yes 

Rice, Sugar, Construction materials and Equipment  

Other 

Yes 

Year holidays. But it has been mentioned that the customs direction is in dynamic of perfection.  

 

 

HANDLING FIGURES 2022 

Vessel Calls: 

340 

Container Traffic: (TEUs) 

526 000 

 

Handling Figures Bulk and Break Bulk 

Year 2022 

Bulk (MT) 

436,334 

Break bulk (MT) 

2,959,511 

 

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges: 

Port fees, which entails tugging, piloting, mooring and port dues will amount to about 5 000 000 XOF. General cargo handling is at about 5 000 XOF per tonne while bulk handling is around 2 500 XOF per tonne. For updates on conventional handling charges SOBEMAP can be consulted. Container handling charges are found in the table below and updates can be obtained from COMAN and SMTC. 

 

image-20240213115332-3

 

The Container Terminal /The Benin terminal is owned and operated by Africa Global Logistics (AGL) who replaced Bolloré Africa Logistics as a public-private partnership together with the Port Autonome de Cotonou. The access channel is dredged to 11.00 metres and is designed to accommodate vessels of 10 metres maximum draft.  

Storage areas / inland container depots in vicinity: Transit storage area of 100,000 m2 for cargo to Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali. Warehousing is either performed by SOBEMAP or AGL and there is 500,000 square meters of bonded warehouses inside the port. All port warehouse which adjoint the quay side are old and dilapidated with difficult access. The bad state of repair includes leaking roofs, cracked concrete surfacing, dirty and poor ventilation. It should be noted that SOBEMAP do not recognise the client tally on entering the warehouses. The only tally recognised is the SOBEMAP tally on exit from the warehouses which can result in considerable losses. Changes in handling containers in the port of Cotonou. Generally, the Un-stuffing (stripping) of containers does not occurs inside the port precincts. Cargos destined for Benin are taken to Zongo (less than 1 KM from the port) where the containers are stripped, inspected, and distributed for delivery in break bulk on trucks. For transit cargo to other countries, there is a new facility at Allada (about 40 KMS from Cotonou).  

WFP has been granted a concession by the Port Authorities that all WFP cargo (transit to other countries or delivery within Benin) could be stripped inside the Port premises and be moved in breakbulk on trucks to destinations. One of the most important effects of this is the improvement of conditions in the port container area where there is much less congestion with a separate exit for all the trucks loaded with containers to leave the port. Located on a sandy coast on the southern edge of the city of Cotonou, the Port of Cotonou is located at 6 ° 11'22 "North and 2 ° 26'30" East. It has a water of 80ha, covers an area of 400,000m2 and has an exceptional location that makes it a regional port. The Port of Cotonou proves to be the nearest outlet to the sea, and the least rugged to serve the eastern landlocked countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso. In the sub region, the Port of Cotonou is approximately equidistant from the Ports of Lagos (Nigeria) and Lomé (Togo) respectively 115km and 135km. Finally, it is the first transit port of the Republic of Niger, the closest and fastest relay and transhipment port to Nigeria. 

Stevedoring and Cargo Handling: SOBEMAP (Societé Beninoise des Manutentions Portuaires) is the only available stevedoring company in Benin with a concession to handle break bulk / bulk in the port. It can be best described as a QUANGO (quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation). 

As well as break bulk / bulk cargo, SOBEMAP also offers cargo handling for containers, RO-RO cargo and warehousing. There is speculation that SOBEMAP may be privatised, and it is believed that both Bolloré and Necotrans would have a strong interest in participating in the process. Container handling is already performed by Coman (APM Terminals) and SMTC (Bolloré).  Grimaldi (with RO-RO vessels) and SOBEMAP control the stevedoring for loading and discharging vehicles. While organizations like the Millennium Project support the point of view that conventional cargo is being reduced and containerized cargo is increasing, break bulk and bulk cargos will continue to be imported. During our port visit, all bulk and break-bulk berths were occupied with vessels discharging rice and other bulk material. Several vessels were discharging rice in 50 KGS bags and others were discharging bulk rice into bagging machines alongside the vessels. In addition, the port handles bulk imports of fertilizer. Methods of handling cargo is very basic. In the instance of MV Black Eagle (WFP charter), a yoke was used for each hook, carrying 2 nets for either bags or cartons. To make a comparison, multiple bundles up to 25 tons are handled in Abidjan, using rope/web slings and no nets. (Source: Niels Olsen Report). All commercial rice vessels bringing rice in bags are using the same methods but obtain better results as they carry only one commodity and usually discharge from 4 hatches simultaneously which will result in a daily discharge figure of 2,000 MT discharged working 3 shifts.  SOBEMAP, SMTC (Bolore), APM Terminals (COMAN) all do container handling and Grimaldi / SOBEMAP do handling of car importation which is a large element. Car carriers are given priority berthing as well. Only SOBEMAP have the concession for break bulk/bulk handling, which as mentioned earlier, is inefficient and unproductive.  

Overland transport to Niger - Distances: Cotonou to Malanville: 735 KMS. Malanville to Gaya:  5 KM. Gaya to Dosso: 139 KM. Dosso to Niamey: 139 KM. Dosso to Maradi: 524 KM. Dosso to Zinder: 753 KM. 

Transit times (from vessel berthing): Every freight forwarding company gives conflicting information on this issue. This is a result of insufficient trucks resulting in waiting times, inclement weather, customs, and inspections delays in route and delays at border crossings at Malanville. During the discharge of the MV Black Eagle in May and June 2017, our Port Captain Niels Olsen ascertained the following information for Bolloré and CAT Logistics.  

Table below taken from WFP contracts with FFA during rainy and dry season – just as illustration.   

Destination in Niger Bolloré and CAT Logistics Rain and DrySeason. 

Destination 

Bolloré 

CAT Logistics 

Leadtime in Rain season 

Leadtime in Dry season 

Leadtime in Rain season 

Leadtime in Dry season 

Agadez 

36 days  

23 days  

28 days  

18 days 

Maradi 

33 days 

21 days  

30 days 

20 days 

Niamey 

27 days  

18 days  

35 days  

23 days 

Tahoua 

33 days 

21 days  

33 days  

21 days 

Zinder 

35 days 

23 days 

33 days  

21 days 

 

Seasons and competing cargoes possibly affecting cargo operations. 

The principal rainy season is from April to late July, with a shorter less intense rainy period from late September to November. The main dry season is from December to April, with a short cooler dry season from late July to early September. Obviously, the transit times vary between the wet and dry seasons (as per above table). In addition, there is a transport competition for the import of commercial rice and fertilizers during the year. Also, the situation on the borders with large queues of waiting trucks and the slow processing of customs documents (SYDONIA system) at all points of the journey from exit to arrival exacerbates the situation. This creates a shortage of trucks for landlocked countries like Niger, that also has a quota system in force on the number of units with Niger or Benin registration that can be allowed. These issues exist even though both nations are members of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States). As per our observations in Cameroon, there is a good argument to avoid discharging break bulk vessels at Cotonou during the rainy seasons. 

Rail connections 

Benin's railway network is divided into three lines: from Cotonou to Parakou (438 km); from Pahou to Segbohoue via Ouidah (33 km), and from Cotonou to Pobe via Porto-Novo (107 km). 

The former Benin-Niger Railway and Transport Organization (OCBN) operated the service until 2014, when it was delivered under concession to Beninrail. 

The track and rolling stock are in poor condition and the operation of the line is in pause due to cancellation of the concession contract. 

 

Berthing Specifications: 

Type of Berth 

Quantity 

Length 

(m) 

Maximum 

Draft (m) 

Comments 

Conventional Berth 

150-300 

10 

2 Berth general cargo with 9.5m draft. 2 berth general cargo with 10m draft and 1 car carrier/heavy/general cargo/slag, gypsum, clinker with 150m length and 10m draft. 

Container Berth 

500 

10 

Berth containers & roro vessels 

Silo Berth 

150 

10 

Old Silo berth existing but to be rebuilt  

Berthing Tugs 

 

 

 

Water Barges 

10 

 

 

 

 

Berth number 5 is the only berth dedicated for heavy general cargo vessels. The vessel is often lighted at the berth and then shifted towards 3 berths. Two private container terminal operated by SMTC (Bollore) and COMAN (Maersk) operate two shore cranes at quay 6/7-8. Tanker vessels are only allowed to dock and sail in daylight. Draught is calculated on the of basis high tide. Work was done in 2011 to add two (2) berths of total 550 meters with a depth of 13.5 meters. The old berths will also be dug out to attain 13.5 meters. Below is the port layout with the new berths included. 

 

 

image-20240213115332-4

 

 

Illustrations: Breakdown of WFP cargo into Cotonou and re-export from 2020 through 31 August 2023: 

  

2020 

2021 

2022 

2023 

Import Océan & Terrestre 

1 349,48 

3 487,25 

4 096,02 

3 019,39 

Export Hinterland 

6 42,635 

4 357,80 

3 510,50 

411,756 

(3) the extension of the area of hydrocarbons (fuel) and port access.  

 

However, used vehicle storage activities have royalty rates of 2000 F / m2 / year (zone far from the Port), 5000 F / m2 / year (customs free zone), 8000 F / m2 / year (bonded area). 

however, stores and other facilities made available to customers are subject to royalty rates that reflect the investments made by the licensor. 

 

2019-2023: The actual ongoing work at the Port foresees an expansion on three levels:  

(1) the pier;  

(2) the capacity of container ship berths, and  

 

For the year 2022, we can note that merchandise traffic at the Port of Cotonou experienced a slowdown in its usual flow, passing from nearly 1,120,000 tonnes on average per month between February and July 2022 at only 877,000 tonnes in average per month from September to December 2022. 

 

It is true port of transit and transhipment, the Port of Cotonou represents in the sub-region, a privileged place of exchanges in the maritime and port domains. This strategic position that these assets confer on it cannot be meritorious, if the management of the spaces does not offer possibilities of implantation of various activities which made competitive the Port of Cotonou. The management of the Port Estate remains the bedrock and indispensable support for the exercise and development of port activities. With an area of ​​approximately 1000 hectares with its water, the Port of Cotonou is, without a doubt the most attractive Port for operators and this in all areas (Safety of people and property, Ship Assistance, Manpower, etc.). Thus, the economic operator wishing to invest in the port area must approach the structure responsible for the management of the port area of ​​the Autonomous Port of Cotonou to inquire about the formalities to be fulfilled. However, it is useful to remind customers that the Port district is subdivided into specific homogeneous spaces called Zones. Zones are defined as follows: 

 

1st Zone From the edge to the quay to the rails bordering the store-holdings on the South side; 

2nd Zone is between the rails and the customs fence which delimits the enclosure of the Port; 

3rd Zone is between the customs fence and the boulevard de la Marina. It also includes the Fishing Port Zone; 

4th Zone includes some land and buildings between the Boulevard de la Marina and Boulevard Jean Paul II; 

5th Zone Extra Port Zone (ZEP) located in AKPAKPA, a peripheral district of Cotonou. 

The Extension Zone, located after the container park to the west within the harbour enclosure. 

The port constituency also includes land at EKPE (14 hectares) and DJEGBE (10 hectares) on the Porto Novo Road. Regarding the royalty rates, they are the most flexible compared to those practiced in the sub-region. As an indication, these rates vary from 600 F / m2 / year to 1200 F/ m2 / year depending on the area occupied for bare land-conceded under private investment. 

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