Dr Paul Adalikwu, Secretary General, Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) has urged regional collaboration to harness the huge potentials in the maritime sector for development of the region.
Adalikwu said this during the inaugural visit of delegation of the Maritime Institutions of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa to the Maritime Academy of Nigeria in Oron on Monday.
Our Correspondent reports that the theme of the 4-day exchange visit is; “Advancing Maritime Education and Training Across West and Central Africa.”
The regional exchange visit involved; the Académie Régionale des Sciences et Techniques de la Mer (ARSTM), Côte d’Ivoire and the Regional Maritime University (RMU), Ghana.
Adalikwu noted that the maritime sector remained the backbone of regional economies that must be harnessed for the development of the region.
He reiterated MOWCA‘s commitment to bridge all the maritime human capital gaps through collaboration and synergies among training institutions in West and Central Africa.
Adalikwu added that the exchange visit initiative marks a decisive shift toward coordinated maritime capacity development in the region.
“Over 90 per cent of our trade is carried by sea, yet our capacity to fully harness the benefits of this vast domain depends largely on the quality of human capital we develop.
“It is in this regard that your institutions play a pivotal role.
“MOWCA remains firmly committed to supporting initiatives that enhance maritime capacity and institutional collaboration across our member states,” Adalikwu said.
Adalikwu said that emerging challenges, such as, digital transformation, decarbonisation, maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea, and evolving global certification standards require a unified response among maritime institutions.
“No single institution can effectively address these challenges in isolation,” he said,
He called for harmonisation of curricula, joint certification programmes, and stronger academic and research collaboration.
In his welcome remarks, the Acting Rector of the MAN, Dr Kevin Okonna, described the exchange visit as a strategic milestone, and a first-of-its-kind.
Okonna said the exchange visit was a platform directly linking maritime education and training institutions under MOWCA.
He said that the academy was already advancing partnerships within the region.
Okonna expressed optimism that the engagement would lead to harmonised curricula in line with international standards, enhanced faculty and student exchanges, and improved maritime certification systems across the sub-region.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the governing council, Mr Kehinde Akinola, said MAN remains fully committed to supporting initiatives that would promote excellence in maritime training and capacity development.
Akinola noted that through sustained collaboration, the region would collectively overcome the challenges and unlock the vast potential of the maritime sector.
“I am particularly pleased that this conference and state visits will provide a platform for meaningful dialogue, knowledge sharing, and strategic planning.
“I am confident that the delegation will produce actionable outcomes that will strengthen international engagements and deepen regional cooperation,” Akinola said.
In a goodwill message, a representative of ARSTM’s Director-General, Mr Olivier Combes, described the initiative as a cornerstone for African maritime cooperation.
Combes stated that it would deepen collaboration in areas such as; maritime safety, energy transition, and professional training.
“The exchange visit goes beyond formal engagements, providing an opportunity for institutions to share expertise, align training frameworks, and jointly address emerging challenges in the global maritime sector,” he said
