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MOWAC tasks African countries to collaborate on maritime manpower development

By By Adaku Onyenucheya
17 August 2022   |   3:04 am
The Secretary General of Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), Dr. Paul Adalikwu, has urged governments and maritime administrations in both sub-regions

Maritime

The Secretary General of Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), Dr. Paul Adalikwu, has urged governments and maritime administrations in both sub-regions to harmonise training curricula for improved manpower development.

Adalikwu said the dream of mass production of qualified maritime professionals to man modern ships and ports in the regions would be achieved faster if the best trainers and facilities are put in place.

Adalikwu, who stated this during his maiden working visit to the Regional Academy of Marine Science and Technology (ARSTM) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, advised that stakeholders should look inwards for the issuance of the globally-accepted certificate of competency (CoC).

The MOWAC scribe, while commending the academy for its continuous infrastructural and technical improvements, further advised maritime training institutions in the regions to collaborate for institutional peer review interactions, thereby comparing facilities and interfacing for common good.

Adalikwu stated that the cost of acquiring maritime training and acceptable certification has caused some students and cadets to halt their training because the payments are made mostly in foreign currencies.

He said Africa, as a region blessed with vast maritime space with rich economic potential, should aim at producing qualified seafarers, port administrators, logistics professionals and others from the various maritime academies.

“Multiple benefits such as job creation, security, pollution prevention and others that could fall out from this drive cannot be overemphasised. I am optimistic about the workability of an African-wide cabotage regime that will be supported by revolving funds from the Regional Maritime Development Bank (RMDB) when it takes off, to enable more Africans to own ships with trained personnel sought from the continent.

“I advise that our maritime training institutions should liaise together, share knowledge and seek to collectively achieve our desired improvement with our available facilities and improving faculties across countries,” he said

The Director General of ARSTM, Col. Karim Coulibaly, thanked the MOWCA secretary general for his visit and sought a closer working relationship.

He promised that the academy would always be focused on meeting regional and global standards in its core areas of training.

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