MOWCA drives regional pact to standardise maritime education, certificates to boost seafarer jobs

By Ezurike Ugochukwu 

Maritime training institutions in Nigeria, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire have agreed to deepen regional collaboration aimed at harmonising curricula, strengthening training standards, and improving the global competitiveness of seafarers from West and Central Africa.

The resolution was reached at the end of the inaugural exchange visit hosted by the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, from May 4 to 8, 2026, under the coordination of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA).

The high-level engagement brought together delegations from the Regional Maritime University (RMU), Ghana, and the Académie Régionale des Sciences et Techniques de la Mer (ARSTM), Côte d’Ivoire, alongside officials from Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

In a communiqué issued at the close of the meeting, the institutions agreed to formalise their collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed after the third exchange visit.

The proposed pact is expected to create a structured framework for strategic partnership, knowledge exchange, and coordinated maritime capacity development across the sub-region.

A major focus of the discussions was the urgent need to harmonise maritime training curricula in line with global standards under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, as amended.

Participants resolved to establish a MOWCA-backed tripartite committee to drive curriculum alignment and facilitate the eventual mutual recognition of Certificates of Competency (CoC) and Certificates of Proficiency (CoP) among member institutions.

Stakeholders said the move would significantly improve employability, labour mobility, and international acceptance of seafarers trained within the region.

The institutions also agreed to establish faculty and student exchange programmes, including sabbaticals, joint training initiatives, and other capacity-building schemes coordinated by MOWCA.

To tackle the persistent shortage of sea-time berths—a major barrier to cadet certification in the region—the academies welcomed ongoing efforts by MOWCA to partner with international shipping lines and renewed calls for the establishment of a regional trading and training vessel.

They further resolved to share training infrastructure such as simulators, engineering workshops, laboratories, and e-library resources to optimise existing assets and reduce training gaps.

On research development, the institutions committed to joint academic projects and called for regular regional faculty retreats to improve research quality, proposal development, and access to donor funding.

Recognising the region’s bilingual realities, participants also emphasised integrating English and French language training into maritime curricula to improve communication, certification recognition, and competitiveness in the global labour market.

The agreement aligns with the Revised African Maritime Transport Charter (2010) and marks a significant step toward building a more integrated and competitive regional maritime workforce.