MOWCA targets 90% sea trade gains with regional maritime training pact
The Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) has intensified efforts to unlock the region’s maritime economic potential, with Secretary-General Dr. Paul Adalikwu leading a new push to harmonise
The Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) has intensified efforts to unlock the region’s maritime economic potential, with Secretary-General Dr. Paul Adalikwu leading a new push to harmonise training standards and build a globally competitive workforce across member states.
Speaking at the opening of a four-day exchange programme involving the Regional Maritime University (RMU), Accra; Académie Régionale des Sciences et Techniques de la Mer, Abidjan; and the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Adalikwu underscored the urgency of closing the human capital gap in a region where over 90 per cent of trade is seaborne.
He stressed that the region’s ability to maximise its vast maritime domain depends largely on the quality of manpower it develops, positioning the new collaboration as a strategic lever for trade expansion, job creation, and regional integration.
Adalikwu said the initiative marks a shift from fragmented training systems to a coordinated regional framework capable of delivering internationally recognised certification and improving employment prospects for African youths in the global maritime industry.
“Ultimately, what we seek to build is not just cooperation, but a cohesive regional maritime knowledge ecosystem,” he said.
He added: “MOWCA remains firmly committed to supporting initiatives that enhance maritime capacity and institutional collaboration across our member states. This aligns with our broader strategic priorities, including: the development of a skilled maritime workforce; promotion of safe, secure, and efficient shipping; strengthening regional integration; provide the needed capacity for the promotion of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and intra-African trade.”
The MOWCA boss identified critical challenges confronting maritime training in the region, including digital transformation, emerging technologies, decarbonisation and environmental compliance, as well as persistent security concerns in the Gulf of Guinea.
He noted that rising global standards for training and certification can only be met through structured collaboration, which would also enable mutual recognition of qualifications and facilitate job placement across borders.
According to him, the partnership will provide a platform to harmonise curricula and standards, promote faculty and student exchanges, share infrastructure and research outputs, and develop joint certification programmes aligned with international benchmarks.
Adalikwu further linked the initiative to broader sectoral reforms, including research into alternative marine fuels and support for long-term financing structures such as the proposed Regional Maritime Development Bank.
On the institutional front, Acting Rector of MAN Oron, Dr. Kevin Okonna, described the exchange programme as a landmark step towards globalising maritime education in the region.
He recalled that the academy had earlier hosted officials from RMU Ghana during its 2025 graduation ceremony, where a memorandum of understanding was signed and is nearing full implementation.
Okonna also revealed that MAN Oron had extended similar engagements to the Liberian Maritime Administration as part of efforts to secure wider global recognition for its certifications.
He commended MOWCA’s leadership in driving standardisation across the region, expressing confidence that the exchange would deepen knowledge in critical areas such as the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention, as amended.
He said the initiative would also foster lecturer and student exchanges, cultural integration, and stronger unity within the region’s maritime ecosystem.
Acting Vice Chancellor of RMU, Dr. Jethro Brooks, lauded MOWCA’s intervention, urging other institutions to align with the emerging framework for continental development.
He said: “The challenges of Africa are better addressed through collaboration than isolation, shared resources, aligned training curricula and harmonies.”
Brooks noted that RMU is strategically positioned to drive the production of highly skilled and globally competitive maritime professionals for Africa and beyond.
Similarly, Director General of the Abidjan-based Regional Academy of Marine Sciences and Technology, Col. Coulibally Kareem, described the initiative as a foundation for sustainable cooperation that will elevate African maritime training to international relevance.
He emphasised that the platform offers institutions the opportunity to compare curricula and jointly address training deficiencies in the region.
Also speaking, former Head of the African Section at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), William Azuh, described the meeting as timely and a bold step towards strengthening maritime training capacity among MOWCA member states.
The success of this partnership, according to stakeholders, could determine how successfully West and Central Africa compete in the global shipping economy, where skills, standards, and certification remain crucial for market access and growth, as the region looks to leverage maritime trade under the AfCFTA framework.
