MOWCA flays cost of training seafarers abroad, backs local varsities, academies

Secretary General, Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), Dr Paul Adalikwu has called for concerted efforts of governments, multi-national companies and individuals to support training of seafarers in maritime training institutions in the sub region. This is even as he flayed the huge cost incurred by countries and governments in training seafarers in foreign institutions.

Adalikwu who made this call shortly after a visit to the Regional Maritime University (RMU) in Nungua, Ghana, urged all stakeholders and investors operating in the maritime sector of the region to contribute in raising training and certification standards of the university and other maritime academies in West and Central Africa.

The MOWCA Secretary General, who commended the university’s management for its increasing quality in the face of limited resources, described the institution as a critical arm of MOWCA in human capital development.

According to him RMU and other maritime academies in the MOWCA region deserve support of terminal operators, shipping companies, international oil companies, and others including individuals to develop further.

Dr. Adalikwu said that such support would amount to multiple benefits to the trained seafarers, the governments, private companies and the economic growth of the regions.

He described huge resources spent to train African seafarers by some countries for globally accepted Certificates of Competency as huge costs to the sponsoring countries. According to him, such funds could be deployed to achieve more if most of the trainings are done within the MOWCA region to save cost and impact on more number of youths.

“At MOWCA, we are aware that some countries in our region have had to spend more foreign exchange from their meager resources to complete the maritime training of their citizens abroad.

“Many students in our region have also had to privately source funding to acquire certificates in oil, Chemical and Gas tanker officers’ course outside Africa.

”We are concerned and feel that if specialised courses like dynamic positioning of vessels are done within the MOWCA region, thereby cutting the cost of traveling, more youths would benefit from high quality maritime training at lesser costs

“MOWCA is therefore appealing to foreign and local companies operating in our ports and entire maritime industry to support our maritime university and academies through donation of equipment, financial grants and making them their first choice of location for manpower sourcing.

“As a body comprising of 25 countries, we are deliberate in the drive for the development of qualified and competent seafarers to operate modern ships and contribute to global trade through maritime industry.

” I am optimistic things are going to get better for our training institutions even as I look forward to visiting the RMU again soon” Adalikwu said.

In his welcome speech, the Acting Vice Chancellor of the RMU, Dr Jethro Brooks Jnr, while welcoming the MOWCA Secretary General who was coming to the university for the first time since assumption of office in November 2021, reiterated the institution’s commitment to quality manpower training.

He said the university upholds the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) training standards without compromising any aspect of Standard of Training Certification and Watch keeping for officers and ratings, otherwise called the Manila Convention.

The Acting VC said the university’s commitment to further improvement is unshaken.

Dr. Brooks led the MOWCA SG on a facility tour of the university and brief interaction with top management cadre officers of the institution before he departed for Abidjan.

The Regional Maritime University is one of the specialised organs of MOWCA.