The African Marine Environment Sustainability Initiative (AFMESI), in partnership with the Department of Technical Cooperation with African Nations (DOTCAN) Institute, Canada, has concluded plans to host this year’s Women and Youth Technical Capacity in ocean science technology, the Blue Economy (WYTEC) training programme.

In a statement, Dr Felicia Mogo, Founder and President of AFMESI, said both organisations earlier carried out a stakeholder mapping exercise to assess the available technical expertise within Nigeria’s ocean science technology and blue economy sector.

She explained that the exercise helped identify areas requiring capacity enhancement. To address these gaps and promote sustainability, an advertisement was published inviting applications, particularly from women and youths, for specialised training.

According to her, the initiative reflects the shared objective of AFMESI and DOTCAN to empower more women and young people to actively participate in the blue economy for economic advancement.

“Capacity building is one of AFMESI’s strategic pillars within the maritime and blue economy space,” Mogo stated. “That is why we welcomed the partnership with DOTCAN, as both organisations are committed to developing technical skills and promoting sustainable growth.”

She expressed optimism that, by the end of the training, there would be a significant increase in the number of skilled women and youths contributing to Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.

Earlier this year, AFMESI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the DOTCAN Institute on technical cooperation. Following this, 20 candidates were selected under the Women and Youth Technical Capacity in Ocean Science Technology, the Blue Economy (WYTEC) Programme, based on defined selection criteria.