MOWCA Restates Relevance of Climate Prediction to Safe Navigation, Commends NiMET’s Timely Forecast
Secretary General of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa, Dr Paul Adalikwu has restated the relevance of climate prediction to safe navigation describing it as an imperative aspect of modern day shipping.
Adalikwu said this in Abuja on Tuesday while delivering a goodwill message at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency(NiMET) Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) where he also highlighted that such information from specialised bodies serve as guide to policy makers, professionals and operators in the aviation and maritime industries
The SG said MOWCA’s primary area of operation which is the marine domain thrives actively on meteorological services in diverse ways and this makes it important for the organisation to take NiMET’s prediction seriously.
According to the SG, blue economy activities such as fisheries, marine biology and water transportation are greatly impacted by weather requiring foreknowledge for adequate planning.
He said diligent application of the timely information contained in the forecast and uncompromising adherence to safety requirements could be applied in the prevention of ferry and boat accidents that have led to avoidable loss of lives in Africa.
The MOWCA SG commended the Nigerian government, Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and NiMET for leading the way to produce the seasonal climate prediction processed from sophisticated equipment and expertise
He added that MOWCA would always work with the predictions to advance the cause of maritime safety, port administration and maritime infrastructural development where increased rainfall could impede construction works at port areas
Adalikwu said : “We acknowledge that seasonal climate prediction information helps operators and decision-makers in the industry to plan better, optimize operations, reduce risks and improve overall efficiency through route optimization, safety enhancements, port operations planning, cargo management, fuel efficiency, regulatory compliance, insurance and risk assessment, fisheries and marine resources, disaster preparedness, supply chain resilience and more.
“Our industry cannot function optimally where this information is not readily available or ignored by operators. Issues of ferry accidents in our coastal and inland waterways which has led to loss of lives and substantial properties cannot be exhaustively discussed without the mention of the impact of extreme severe weather conditions.
“Worried by these reoccurring accidents, MOWCA in 2024 organised a regional workshop in Libreville Gabon, on safety of Inland waterway transport and ferry accidents, where, again the role of meteorological information came to the fore.
“Arising from the foregoing and in acknowledgement of the critical role of weather data information and analysis, MOWCA engaged with NiMet in 2024 and consequently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation and information sharing between the two Organizations. With this MoU, MOWCA member States would strive to take advantage of weather forecast information services provided by Nimet for their maritime and other socio-economic sector activities.
“Aligning with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), MOWCA continues to advocate for safe oceans, safe navigations and safety of our seafarers. It is therefore hoped that this forecast prediction, if given adequate the sensitization with necessary regulation and enforcement will help enhance our maritime operations for the betterment of the subregion and the industry. On this note, I wish to congratulate the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) on this presentation” Adalikwu said
