Abuja MoU to regularise shipping operations in Africa

The Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is set to hold its third ministerial conference and ninth Port State Control Committee Meeting with the aim of developing a unified inspection procedure for the West and Central Africa sub-regions.

The MoU is aimed at harmonising port state control inspection procedures that will lead to the elimination of substandard shipping in the sub-region.

The third ministerial conference themed: “Tightening the Net: Regional Cooperation to Eliminate Substandard Shipping” and the  ninth Port state control committee meeting will hold in Accra, Ghana from 27th -28th of March, 2018.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and the Director General of NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside, will join other ministers of member states and chief executive officers of the maritime administrations to review and assess the implementation level of actions identified at the previous ministerial conferences and agree on further actions required to improve maritime safety in the region.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Peterside noted that NIMASA’s commitment to regional integration is aimed at improving shipping.
 
The Secretary General of the Abuja MoU, Barr. Mfon Usoro, said the conference would ensure the strengthening of capacity of members states and their maritime administrations in order to target sub-standard ships, achieve desired regional harmonization and cooperation of port and flag state implementation processes that will also lead to improving the living and working conditions of shipboard officers and crew as well as ensure prevention of pollution in the region’s waters.

The Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control for West and Central African Region generally referred to as “Abuja MoU” is one of the nine regional MoUs and national MoU established pursuant to International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Resolution A.682 (17) of 1991.

Abuja MoU was established on 22nd October 1999 as an inter-governmental organization comprising of the maritime administrations of countries abutting the Atlantic coast of Africa.