From steam shipping to the steel box: Seaport Evolution in West Africa in the Long Durée

Abstract

West Africa was rapidly inserted into the global steamship revolution of the mid-nineteenth century by a combination of European colonization and expanded seaborne trade. The spread of globalization was accompanied by the establishment and development of the Colonial State. Investments in port modernization by the colonial powers fostered economic growth in their respective colonies, built on the expansion of the cash crop and mining sectors. The convergence of these dynamics in coastal areas increased their economic, political, and cultural influence. West African port cities exemplified these transformation processes. The clustering dynamics reinforced their role after political independence. Independent West African countries retained the structure of colonial transport infrastructures but also made huge investments in new terminals and greenfield seaports. Structural transformations in the export terminals, which accompanied the expansion of hydrocarbon extraction and exports, also affected the robustness of traditional port hierarchies. From the late twentieth century, technological shifts linked to containerization also generated structural changes at the infrastructure and management levels. Thus, privatization of terminals, infrastructure reforms, and international agreements decisively affected the composition of regional port systems and the evolution of historical hierarchies.