Secretary General, Abuja MoU
The Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Port State Control for West and Central African Region has received the International Standards Organisation Certification valid from June 6, 2024 to June 5, 2027 just as it is making efforts for increased recognition of Certificate of Competency issued to seafarers of its 22 member countries.
This was confirmed to our reporter by the Secretary General of Abuja MoU, Capt. Sunday Umoren. Umoren congratulated members of his team and reassured of higher quality performance to sustain and surpass the feat
The certificate issuance which was preceded by an audit, is in recognition of the provision of administrative, statutory meetings and training service for policy makers and port state control officers(PSCOs) in West and Central African region
It has also announced signing a multilateral agreement with its 22 member countries to ensure that seafarers certificates from the countries enjoy global recognition.
The agreement is to allow for an interchange of seafarers by member states, thereby allowing them to sail on any registered vessel of these member states.
Eng Richard Owolabi, Head of Technical Department of Abuja MoU stated this at the 2024 Day of the Seafarer celebration organised by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in Lagos on Tuesday.
Eng Owolabi was reacting to a panel discussion on the lack of global recognition for Certificates of Competency (CoC) issued to Nigerian seafarers due to the clause; Near Coastal Voyage on the Certificates.
According to Owolabi “That agreement would bring into focus and create a stand by all member states, that every Indigene in the west and central African region would have opportunity to sail on vessels registered in any of these nations.
“This would allow for interchange of seafarers and easy access for the seafarers to sail on any registered vessel of these member states.
“All the 22 countries in the West and Central Africa, and NIMASA representing the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy is the Chairperson of that technical working group and it is to create a technical working relationship among member states.
“Before the end of the second quarter of 2025, that agreement would come into force and we are working towards that.
“This would lead to recognition of the certification of our seafarers and remove the challenges of our seafarers going abroad or working in near coastal voyage of Nigeria” Eng Owolabi assured.
