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By Zika Bobby
The Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) has secured 48 Indonesian government-sponsored training opportunities for maritime professionals from its member states under three capacity-building programmes scheduled for November.
The programmes were announced in a circular dated September 30, issued by MOWCA Secretary-General, Dr Paul Adalikwu, and addressed to ministers in charge of maritime transport in member states.
In the circular from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Adalikwu said the Indonesian government was offering the scholarships within the framework of MOWCA’s cooperation with its international partners.
The programmes will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia, and are designed to strengthen maritime education, improve professional competence and enhance the training, assessment and certification of seafarers across West and Central Africa.
According to the circular, the training of trainers on seafarers’ mental health has 15 slots and will run from November 7 to 15, including travel days. It is intended for doctors specialising in seafarers’ health and serving in seafarers’ health centres.
The training of trainers (ToT) programme, based on International Maritime Organization (IMO) Model Course 6.09, has 13 slots and will run from November 14 to 29, including travel days. It focuses on strengthening maritime instructors’ teaching capabilities and improving the quality of maritime education.
The training for assessment, examination and certification of seafarers (ToE), based on IMO Model Course 3.12, has 20 slots and will run from November 7 to 29, including travel days.
It is designed for personnel from maritime administrations and training institutions responsible for seafarer certification, as well as officers involved in onboard assessments. The programme will be combined with an International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code course.
The three programmes offer different categories of maritime professionals opportunities to acquire specialised knowledge and improve their contribution to maritime safety, training and regulatory co mpliance.
Adalikwu said English would be the language of instruction, requiring participants to be able to speak, read, write and understand it. He also stressed that participants must hold passports valid for at least six months from their date of arrival in Indonesia.
The circular set October 9 as the application deadline for the seafarers’ mental health and IMO Model Course 6.09 programmes, while registration for the assessment, examination and certification programme closes on October 17.
Given the limited time available, Adalikwu urged ministers to disseminate the information to their maritime administrations and agencies to ensure applications reached the MOWCA Secretariat within the stipulated deadlines.
He also cautioned prospective participants about Indonesia’s strict laws on drug-related offences, advising them to avoid the possession and consumption of drugs and obtain travel insurance from their respective countries.
The initiative builds on Indonesia’s commitment to supporting maritime capacity development among MOWCA member states through technical cooperation and knowledge sharing.
In separate information on the November programmes, Indonesia identified the Maritime Institute of Indonesia, known as STIP, as the implementing institution, with support from the Human Resources Development Agency for Transportation under the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation.
Sponsorship for the two instructor-training courses includes return economy-class air tickets, visas, travel insurance, allowances, accommodation, meals and other logistical support.
The partnership is expected to strengthen professional skills, improve maritime training standards and promote cooperation between Indonesia and West and Central African countries in addressing shared maritime challenges.
