Nigeria signs MoU with Ghana on regional co-operation in maritime operations

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ghanaian Maritime Authority, (GMA). The official signing ceremony took place at the Nigerian Maritime Resource Development Centre in Lagos.

In a statement signed by Isichei Osamgbi, NIMASA deputy director communications, Dakuku Peterside, director general of NIMASA, said intra-African collaboration is a vital requirement for Africans to effectively harness the natural potentials that the blue economy represents for the continent.

Peterside noted that African countries must cooperate to solve challenges peculiar to the continent.

“All maritime nations on the African continent have comparative advantage in different areas, and only collaboration will ensure that we complement each other, thus ensuring that the maritime sector contribute effectively to the growth of the continent,” he said.

The NIMASA boss also noted that Nigeria and Ghana have a historical link in the maritime sector, and that the African maritime sector is richly endowed to the extent that coastal and aquatic ecosystems within the continent are treasures that provide diverse and vibrant natural resources.

Peterside, who also doubles as the chairman of the Association of Heads of African Maritime Administrations, commended the management of Ghana Maritime Authority for seeking the collaboration and noted that the move will go a long way in strengthening effort in the areas of promotion of scientific and technical cooperation, trade and movement facilitation, exchange of information, data, knowledge and experience.

Also speaking at the event, Kwame Owusu, director general of the Ghana Maritime Authority commended NIMASA and its management for its role in championing the growth of the maritime sector in the sub-region in particular and in Africa in general.

The highlight of the renewable MoU, which has a life span of four years, includes knowledge transfer and sharing initiative between both agencies; joint capacity building Initiative; cabotage enforcement joint study initiative; joint comparative research initiative and joint efforts to combat piracy and terrorism initiative.

The Management of the Ghana Maritime Authority had earlier visited NIMASA on a fact-finding mission with the aim of ascertaining areas of possible collaboration and cooperation.