By Steve Agbota
The Secretary-General of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), Dr. Paul Adalikwu, has revealed that the body is rallying support from all 25 member countries to back Nigeria’s bid in the upcoming International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council elections.
Speaking to maritime journalists in Lagos, Dr. Adalikwu said MOWCA was formally contacted by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and is fully committed to pushing for a bloc vote in favour of Nigeria.
“We hope that with all critical stakeholders coming together, Nigeria has a very good shot of winning this seat. They have contacted MOWCA, and I am engaging with the 25 member countries to give a block vote to Nigeria,” he said.
Nigeria, which last won a seat on the IMO Council in Category C in 2011, has since contested unsuccessfully on four separate occasions. With renewed backing from the Tinubu-led administration, the country formally launched its campaign last week in London.
Turning to the issue of ferry safety across the region, Dr. Adalikwu expressed deep concern over frequent boat accidents, citing over 8,000 deaths recorded across member states in the last decade. He described the trend as alarming, naming Nigeria, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of Congo among the hardest-hit.
“There have been incessant ferry accidents across the length and breadth of these countries… Nigeria, Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo – with over 8,000 lives lost in the last decade. That’s a very huge number,” he said.
Following the 2023 “Esther Miracle” ferry disaster in Gabon – which led to the resignation of the country’s Transport Minister – MOWCA convened a regional safety conference that produced the “Libreville Plan of Action.”
Expanding on this, Dr. Adalikwu said the organisation is now partnering with the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) and InterFerry, a Canada-based global ferry association, to host a two-day ferry safety conference in Nigeria aimed at educating local authorities and the public on the importance of safe water transport.
“We want to create awareness, particularly among the 36 states of Nigeria, that ferry safety is very important,” he said.
On the welfare and safety of seafarers, he assured that MOWCA is collaborating closely with the International Maritime Organisation to curb abuse and improve working conditions, especially for female seafarers.
“MOWCA is partnering with the IMO to ensure that measures are put in place to reduce, if not eliminate, harassment of seafarers, particularly the female gender,” he said.
“We are working with critical stakeholders, but most importantly, the IMO in London to ensure that this menace comes to an end”, he said.