The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has declared Nigeria's support for the collaborative exchange visit of the Ghana Regional Maritime University and the Regional Academy of Marine Science and Technology, Ivory Coast in Nigeria.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the meeting held at the Nigeria Maritime Academy, Oron, Oyetola, who was represented by the Deputy Director of the Ministry; Cabotage and Maritime Development, Mrs. Selia Ekanem, described the collaboration organized by the West and Central African Maritime Organization (WCAMO) as commendable.
According to the Minister, this collaboration of MOWCA, RMU, ATRSM and the Nigeria Maritime Academy will work in the pursuit of cadet development and capacity building.
Oyetola while commending Dr. Paul Adalikwu, Secretary General of MOWCA, added that his ministry will always support such exchange with the aim of improving sea time and employment opportunities for maritime cadets from Nigeria and other participating countries.
The four-day meeting which features an overview of academies, lectures, lectures and facility tours is the first session aimed at harmonizing the certificate of competency while ensuring that all countries involved adhere to the standard (STCW) Program of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as amended.
Speaking at the opening session of the meeting, Dr. Adalikwu said that MOWCA remains strongly committed to supporting initiatives that improve maritime capacity and institutional collaboration in Member States.
He added that the program aligns with the organization's broader strategic priorities, which include the development of a skilled maritime workforce, promoting safe, secure and efficient shipping, strengthening regional integration and providing the capacity needed to promote the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFTA) and intra-African trade.
He added that the synergy will pursue research into Africa's contribution to finding solutions to the discussion on alternative fuel energy sources and supporting the creation of sustainable maritime institutions, including initiatives such as the Bank proposed regional maritime development programme.
Keynote speaker at the event, Dr. Edmund Chilaka, assistant lecturer from the University of Lagos, said there are about 100,000 job vacancies in the maritime sector that West and Central African countries could look for ways to fill the global maritime labor shortage.
