The Secretary-General of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), Dr Paul Adalikwu, has called for stronger regional collaboration to unlock opportunities in the maritime sector. He made the appeal during a four-day regional exchange visit to the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) in Oron, Akwa Ibom, themed "Advancing Maritime Education and Training Across West and Central Africa." Adalikwu emphasized that over 90 per cent of trade in West and Central Africa is conducted by sea, making human capital development critical to maximizing the sector's potential. He described the exchange initiative as a significant step toward coordinated maritime capacity building among member states. According to Adalikwu, MOWCA remains committed to closing gaps in maritime education through institutional partnerships. He stressed that challenges such as digital transformation, decarbonisation, and maritime insecurity require unified responses, as no single institution can tackle them alone. Acting Rector of MAN, Dr Kevin Okonna, welcomed the visit, calling it a "well-intended strategic milestone" that links maritime training institutions across the region. Okonna noted that the engagement would promote harmonised curricula, faculty and student exchanges, and improved certification systems aligned with international standards. Kehinde Akinola, Chairman of the MAN Governing Council, affirmed the academy's commitment to excellence in maritime training and expressed optimism that sustained collaboration would overcome existing challenges. He said the conference and state visits would foster dialogue, knowledge sharing, and strategic planning among stakeholders.
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