Modernizing the Port Autonome de Cotonou in 2026
The Port Autonome de Cotonou (PAC), Benin's autonomous port authority, is in the middle of major infrastructure work aimed at boosting operational capacity and bringing the facility up to international maritime logistics standards.
The Main Projects:
- Expanding the port basin: to accommodate larger vessels, including next-generation container ships.
- Building new terminals: dedicated to bulk cargo and petroleum products.
- Fully digitizing customs clearance: to cut down how long it takes goods to clear the port.
A master plan worth more than 450 million euros
The PAC's modernization is part of a master plan covering 2021 through 2026, with total announced investment of more than 450 million euros spread across a dozen strategic projects. The African Development Bank (AfDB) and its partners have put in 80 million euros to help fund several of these projects.
Port authorities have set a target of 15 million tons of traffic by 2026, up sharply from the volume the master plan started with. Hitting that number would put the PAC among the busiest ports on the Gulf of Guinea, in a market where it's competing directly with the neighboring ports of Lomé and Abidjan for transit traffic bound for landlocked Sahel countries (Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali).
Expanding the port basin: the flagship project
The most visible piece of the master plan is the expansion of the port basin and the renovation of the North quays, a job handled in part by the French construction group Spiebatignolles. The work is meant to allow deeper-draft vessels into the port — notably the next-generation container ships the port currently can't accommodate.
According to the latest figures released, physical progress on this project stands at 67%, with overall progress (including financial and contractual milestones) at 76%. A first phase of the expansion was officially handed over to port authorities on February 19, 2026 — a concrete milestone after several years of construction.
Terminal 5: the project meant to change everything
Terminal 5 is the second major structuring project in the modernization plan. It's designed to significantly boost the port's capacity, particularly for container traffic.
Of the 550 meters of planned quay for this terminal, more than 320 meters had already been completed as of the latest 2026 progress updates. The first maritime operations at the new terminal are expected to start in August 2026, which would make it one of the year's most concrete milestones for the PAC.
Hangar Zongo and the heavy-truck parking lot: tackling road congestion
Beyond the maritime infrastructure, two projects are addressing a problem that's very real for anyone driving near the port: heavy-truck congestion on the roads leading to the terminals.
Hangar Zongo is designed as a modern rest and dining facility for truck drivers, who sometimes wait long hours before they can load or unload cargo. Parking Zongo is meant to organize parking for trucks waiting their turn — infrastructure considered key to easing traffic that regularly spills over onto surrounding roads and affects circulation in several neighborhoods of Akpakpa and Zongo.
These two projects, less dramatic than the basin expansion or Terminal 5, address a very practical, everyday operational reality: maritime capacity is useless if getting cargo out of the port by road stays gridlocked.
Digitizing customs procedures
The third pillar of the modernization plan is going paperless on customs clearance. The goal is to shorten how long goods take to clear the port — a direct competitiveness factor for a port that lives largely off transit traffic bound for landlocked countries further inland.
This digitization effort touches the connections between customs systems, shipping lines and freight forwarders, aiming to cut down on the documentation gaps that traditionally stretch out how long containers sit on the port's storage yards.
What's still left to do
The port of Cotonou has delivered the first phase of its expansion, but the heart of the project still lies ahead. Both Terminal 5 and the basin expansion still need to reach full operational capacity, and as the master plan's 2026 deadline approaches, several components — notably the full digitization of procedures — are moving at a quieter pace than the physical infrastructure.
Port leadership, under its director general, has stepped up talks with the AfDB in recent months to speed up the release of remaining funding and stay on track for the 2026 delivery targets.
FAQ: Modernizing the Port Autonome de Cotonou
Can the port of Cotonou already handle next-generation container ships?
Not fully yet. The basin expansion, which is meant to allow deeper-draft vessels in, is at 67% physical completion. A first phase was delivered in February 2026, but full capacity hasn't been reached yet.
When will Terminal 5 be operational?
The first maritime operations at Terminal 5 are expected starting in August 2026, with more than 320 meters of quay already built out of the 550 meters planned in total.
Why is the port investing in a parking lot and a rest facility for trucks?
Because a port's maritime capacity doesn't make up for a land-side bottleneck. Hangar Zongo and Parking Zongo are meant to organize the wait for heavy trucks and ease congestion on the roads around the port — a problem that directly affects delivery times for goods heading into the country's interior.
Who is funding the modernization of the Port Autonome de Cotonou?
The 2021-2026 master plan, valued at more than 450 million euros, draws on several funders, including the African Development Bank, which contributed 80 million euros toward part of the work. The Beninese state and private partners, including public-works companies like Spiebatignolles, round out the financing and construction.