Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have moved to the forefront of a new regional maritime education alliance aimed at harmonising seafarer training and positioning West and Central Africa as a stronger player in the global shipping labour market.
The strategic partnership emerged at the end of the maiden exchange visit of Maritime Education and Training Institutions (METIs) under the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), hosted by the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom State, from May 4 to May 8, 2026.
The high-level gathering brought together the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron; the Regional Maritime University (RMU), Accra, Ghana; and the Académie Régionale des Sciences et Techniques de la Mer (ARSTM), Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in what stakeholders described as a major step towards building a unified maritime manpower development framework for the subregion.
Officials of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), maritime regulators and industry stakeholders also participated in the deliberations.
The institutions agreed to pursue harmonisation of maritime curricula, mutual recognition of certificates, faculty and student exchange programmes, joint research initiatives and shared access to maritime training facilities in order to address longstanding gaps weakening the competitiveness of African seafarers globally.
The resolutions were contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the five-day summit, which described the collaboration as a “framework of strategic partnership and cooperation” among the participating maritime institutions.
A major highlight of the meeting was the decision to establish a tripartite committee under MOWCA to drive the harmonisation of training curricula across the institutions in line with international maritime standards and evolving industry requirements.
Stakeholders at the summit noted that disparities in training systems and certification processes across African maritime institutions have continued to hinder labour mobility and limit international employment opportunities for seafarers trained within the region.
By aligning their academic and professional standards, the institutions believe certificates issued within the subregion would gain stronger international recognition while improving the employability of African cadets and maritime professionals.
The meeting also focused heavily on the need for mutual recognition of Certificates of Competency (CoC) and Certificates of Proficiency (CoP) among member states in accordance with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, as amended.
Delegates urged MOWCA to facilitate closer collaboration among maritime administrations across member countries to ensure smoother implementation of regional certification recognition frameworks.
Industry experts believe the initiative could significantly reduce dependence on foreign maritime labour while enabling African shipping companies to recruit more seafarers trained within the continent.
Another pressing concern raised during the summit was the persistent shortage of sea-time opportunities for cadets, a challenge widely regarded as one of the biggest obstacles to maritime manpower development in Africa.
The institutions commended MOWCA’s ongoing discussions with international shipping companies aimed at securing sea-time placements for cadets across the region and called for accelerated implementation of the initiative.
