Adalikwu assures of clean marine environment

The newly-elected Secretary-General of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), Dr. Paul Adalikwu, has reassured that the organisation will improve member countries’ capacity to maximize their maritime and transport potentials.

Adalikwu, who spoke with journalists, said he would engage with the Council of Ministers in the 25 member nations to achieve maritime security, cleaner marine environment, stopping illegal and unregulated fishing in the West and Central African sub-region to boost the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) implementation.

Adalikwu restated the establishment of a financial framework, which he said member states can use to draw resources at very low-interest rates to develop their maritime sector.

He assured that the Regional Maritime Development Bank would be inaugurated by the first quarter of 2022 in Abuja to the benefit of all member states.

“It has been in the incubator for almost a decade, but the bank is finally seeing the light of day. In line with the requirements for the establishment of the bank, we have obtained the needed quota of eight member states, who have signed onto the charter and are ready to roll.

“In the coming days, several other states, particularly under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Transport of Ghana, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, who has also pledged to work to see the establishment of this bank, we believe that by the first quarter of 2022, we will launch this bank with headquarters in Abuja,” he said.

Speaking further, Adalikwu, assured that his leadership would increase capacity-building efforts in Nigeria and other member states of MOWCA, to ensure that cadets are properly trained and placed onboard vessels to acquire the mandatory sea time experience that they need to be gainfully employed in the global maritime industry.

He said he would also work to bring about increased credibility in the certification of seafarers and cadets that graduate from the Maritime Academy of Nigeria in Oron, the Regional Maritime University in Accra, Ghana and the Regional Maritime University in Cote d’Ivoire.

“As we all know, the World Maritime University in Malmö is a world-class university that can provide training for students and faculty that we will tap into to improve on the existing institutions that we have.

“We will work to ensure that it is brought into the fold for the maximum benefits that we can attract from the World Maritime University, in terms of advanced training to the faculty and students to improve their knowledge and skills in the maritime sector.”