Expansion of Cotonou Port

Benin, November 2025: At the end of November, the German Ambassador to Benin, Dr Stefan Buchwald, visited the construction site for the new Terminal 5 at the Port of Cotonou (Port Autonome de Cotonou) together with First Secretary Oliver Jüngel and Dr Klaus Richter, Managing Director of Inros Lackner.

Inros Lackner teams from our offices in Benin and Togo have been overseeing the construction and technical implementation of the project since 2021. On site, Christian Komla Esser, Regional Director, and Amine Mazouzi, Project Manager, explained the ongoing work, technical challenges and milestones already achieved to the ambassadorial team. Amine Mazouzi emphasised the importance of the project: "The new T5 terminal will improve logistics processes at the Port of Cotonou in the long term, significantly increase handling capacities, and make transport processes more efficient. This will strengthen the role of the Port of Cotonou as an important trade and transit hub in West Africa. The Inros Lackner team takes this task very seriously and is proud to be working with the Port of Cotonou to implement this important project for the country of Benin."

The multifunctional T5 terminal covers an area of around 20 hectares and is designed for handling bulk and general cargo. Other important measures included in the expansion are:

Extending the breakwater of the western main pier by 350 metres
Constructing a 550m-long quay
Construction of a 21-hectare open storage area
Dredging work to deepen the harbour basin and provide more space for ships to turn.