Bodies of water such as rivers, seas and oceans have been the womb that gave birth to many civilizations in the world and galvanized economic development; and if the seas and oceans around Africa are effectively harnessed, they could elevate Africa from its current economic anemia to lush and competitive heights among the world's other continents. This was what I understood about my mission, and it was also my vision and my state of mind when, by the grace of God and with gratitude to my African brothers and sisters in MOWCA, I assumed my functions as Secretary General of the 25-country West and Central African Maritime Organization (MOWCA) in December 2021.
Thus determined to give a new breath of fresh air to the Organization, which had been lethargic and almost comatose for at least ten years before my tenure, I could only get to work in making, within a year of taking office as Secretary General of the Organization, far-reaching fundamental changes that clearly showed a complete revival of the once moribund organization. This report offers a detailed account of some of these major innovations and radical changes that I introduced just within a year of taking over the reins of leadership of WCOWA.
Highlights of the report include the most desirable administrative changes within the WCOWA General Secretariat and my tireless travels to member countries to revive their interest and confidence in the organization and to assess the particular challenges that each country I visited faces. For example, some active member countries would be surprised that over the last ten years, the existence of MOWCA has disappeared from the national memory of some bona fide member states; and also that the Apostolic Nuncio residing in Ivory Coast, who coordinates the activities of diplomatic missions, embassies and multinational organizations such as MOWCA, is not aware of the existence of MOWCA, an organization responsible for the maritime industries of two major African regions.
The prospects of having a robust Maritime Development Bank in Nigeria, with a global profile of MOWCA strengthened through its strong and active links and mutually enriching relationships with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and the emergence of a pan-African maritime organization are all within the orbit of my vision and mission as the new Secretary General of WCOWA. Overall, the reports presented here describe the experience, expertise and passion that I have brought to bear in overseeing the affairs of MOWCA. My expectation is to use the MOWCA platform to plant a lush economic tree for the entire African continent from the ashes of the old version of the organization that I found on the ground when I took over.
The details of this rare progress, which highlights the new direction of MOWCA as an unfathomable gold mine for Africa, speak for themselves in the body of the report. But, as the report also states, I have never seen, nor will I ever see, this journey to the El Dorado of our continent as my only expedition or undertaking. I believe that arriving at the destination for the ultimate health of the continent's economy depends very much on the total and selfless commitment of Member States to the Organization. In a humble manner, and with deep gratitude to all Member States of MOWCA, let us see everything that has been recorded here for MOWCA as the result of our collective efforts, especially as the results of the cooperation I have received from some of you who have already joined the new dawn of our great Organization.
Thank you.
Ambassador Dr. Paul I. Adalikwu
Secretary General.
