The Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) said it has concluded partnership arrangement with the African Development Bank (AfDB) on dry dock development in West and Central Africa.
Secretary General of MOWCA, Dr. Paul Adalikwu disclosed this in Brazzaville at his maiden meeting with the newly appointed Congolese Minister of Transport, Civil Aviation and Merchant Marine, Madam Ingrid Olga Ebouka-Babakas.
Adalikwu said the initiative is aimed at driving maritime trade deeper beyond littoral areas in order to achieve greater logistical connectivity between seaports and hinterlands.
He added that MOWCA had commenced strategic moves to achieve greater maritime trade in the Gulf of Guinea, by negotiating diversion of ships from the Red Sea where there is prevalence of armed conflicts.
Dr Adalikwu told the Minister who also doubles as Chairperson of the MOWCA Council of Ministers that the feat was being achieved with the active support of the African Development Bank (AfDB) to strengthen the blue economy drive across Africa.
MOWCA, according to Dr Adalikwu is committed to safe and cost-effective shipping in member countries, maritime jurisdictions and has been in touch with governments and multinationals operating in the West and Central African maritime domain.
This is to suppress piracy and other acts capable of undermining safety of crew, cargo and vessel.
He further briefed Ebouka-Babakas on the various partnerships MOWCA has entered with other international organisations such as the International Maritime Organisation (IMO),
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), ICC Yaoundé in Cameroun and others adding that the pacts contributed in reviving the organisation which almost went moribund for a decade before he was elected.
The workshop, according to Adalikwu focused on addressing issues around frequent accidents on inland waterways and the role of meteorological information in ensuring safe navigation.
The MOWCA Secretary General highlighted the economic importance of safe inland waterway ferry services.
The workshop also emphasized the need for strengthened regulations and enforcement of safety protocols on inland waterways, particularly in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Gabon also expressed support for the workshop, which was aimed at preventing accidents.
On the planned transformation of MOWCA to African Maritime Organization (AMO), Adalikwu said the organisation is working with IMO, African Union and the Association of African Maritime Administrations to achieve this goal.
Adalikwu who delivered a statement on the transformation during the AAMA Conference in Tanzania last year, which led to participants resolving to hold a meeting of experts in collaboration with AfDB in June 2025, to further push the Agenda forward.
He further promised to brief the Minister on the outcome of the meeting and the role she will play afterwards.
Madam Ebouka-Babakas commended Adalikwu for his tenacity and commitment to making MOWCA live up to the dreams of its founding fathers, fifty years after it was created.
She lauded his unrelenting disposition to encourage African countries to harness the benefits of their maritime endowments and pledged supporting Adalikwu to realise the yet to be attained goals of the organization.
The minister also urged Adalikwu to pursue the goal of transforming MOWCA to AMO to enable Africans speak as one on maritime issues considering all supports gotten so far from various partners like AFDB, AUC, AAMA amongst others.
