The strategic leadership offered by the Director-General of the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbour Authority (SLPHA) Yankuba Askia Bio has enormously improved operational management and processes at the SLPHA.
Since his appointment as the Director-General in 2023, he has worked towards the provision of automated infrastructure in order to streamline operational processes which has led to the reduction of vessel turnaround times, and has increased the quantity of cargo throughput at the Queen Elizabeth || sea port.
By Reducing Turnaround time, Yankuba Bio has attained a key indicator of efficiency which is minimizing the time a vessel spends at the berth (average 6.4–10.9 hours) and reducing idle time.
Key factors driving this performance are his adoption of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and automated container gantry cranes which has significantly reduced manual errors and has improved operational speed.
Yankuba Askia Bio`s Knowledge of modern seaport operations saw him invest in modernized equipment such as: the introduction of the Super Post-Panamax cranes, reach stackers, and straddle carriers which have enabled faster, safer, and more precise container handling.
With his adoption of the Digital Port Community Systems (DPCS), Yankuba Askia Bio has implemented digital platforms for electronic data exchange between stakeholders, which has minimized paperwork and has sped up customs clearance.
Yankuba Askia Bio has further stimulated effective Stakeholder Coordination through the fostering of collaboration between port authorities, customs, terminal operators, and shipping lines which has minimized delays and has improved the quality of service delivery.
Through his Performance Benchmarking approach, Yankuba Askia Bio is NOT resting on his laurels, he is regularly assessing key performance indicators (KPIs) such as berth occupancy, crane productivity, and container dwell times against international standards like the World Bank’s Container Port and Performance Index (CPPI) ) to help identify areas for improvement.
Yankuba Askia Bio has utilized the strategic location of the Queen Elizabeth || Quay that is located on a major international shipping route and further possesses natural features, such as deep-water berths and natural protection from weather, to provide shipping services to land locked countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso.
This has augmented revenue generation streams through the provision of marine services such as: container throughput fees, break-bulk fees, vessel charges, and leasing of port facilities.
However, the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority (SLPHA) generates revenue primarily as a landlord authority, collecting concession fees from private terminal operators for example Freetown Terminal Limited, Nectar Sierra Leone Bulk Terminal.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday, 23rd February 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
