Dr Paul Adalikwu, Secretary-General of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), says regional collaboration will unlock vast opportunities in the maritime sector.
Adalikwu made the call in Oron, Akwa Ibom State, on Monday during a regional exchange visit to the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN).
The four-day visit is themed: “Advancing Maritime Education and Training Across West and Central Africa.”
Adalikwu noted that the maritime sector remains the backbone of West and Central African economies and should be fully harnessed for regional development.
He reiterated MOWCA’s commitment to bridging gaps in maritime human capital through collaboration among training institutions, describing the exchange visit as a decisive step toward coordinated maritime capacity development.
“More than 90 per cent of our trade is carried by sea, yet our capacity to fully harness the benefits of this vast domain depends largely on the quality of human capital that we develop,” he said.
Adalikwu added that emerging challenges such as digital transformation, decarbonisation, and maritime insecurity require a unified response.
“No single institution can effectively address these challenges in isolation; strong collaboration is required,” he said.
Earlier, the Acting Rector of MAN, Dr Kevin Okonna, described the exchange visit as a “well-intended strategic milestone” that links maritime education and training institutions under MOWCA.
He expressed optimism that the engagement would lead to harmonised curricula aligned with international standards, enhanced faculty and student exchanges, and improved maritime certification systems.
In his remarks, Mr Kehinde Akinola, Chairman of the MAN Governing Council, reaffirmed the academy’s commitment to promoting excellence in maritime training through sustained regional collaboration.
