Jonathan’s aide seeks collaboration among African maritime nations

Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Maritime Affairs, Mr. Leke Oyewole, has called on African nations to create a forum where they can collaboratively highlight specific opportunities and sustainably evaluate same with a view to distilling their positive impacts for the development of their maritime sectors.
Oyewole made this call at the 3rd Africa Shipping & Oil Roundtable/Investment Forum yesterday in Cape Town, South Africa while presenting a paper on Harnessing Opportunities in the Maritime Industry to boost Infrastructural Development in Africa.
On the event’s theme of Global Partnership for the Sustainability of Infrastructural Development of the Maritime and Energy Sectors in Africa, Oyewole said that cooperation among African nations will avail them knowledge of maritime management strategies that they can effectively monitor and efficiently administer their maritime domains.
He also enjoined the maritime administrators in Africa to maximally utilize their nations’ membership of international organizations and explore privatization options for services that may be better rendered by private firms.The 3rd Africa Shipping & Oil Roundtable/Investment Forum organized by Africa Business and Logistics Support Services (ABLSS) also had other paper presentations by maritime experts and knowledge sharing sessions and ideas on how Africa nations can shore up their maritime sectors’ efficient level.

Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, presented a paper on Boosting Rapid Infrastructural Development for the Effective Implementation of Cabotage Regime in Africa, while the Chief Executive Officer of the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), Commander Tseitsi Mokhele, represented by SAMSA’s Chief Operating Officer, Sobantu Tilayi, made a presentation on How to meet infrastructural needs of the maritime transport in Africa for greater investment opportunities.
The Managing Director Nigeria Ports Authority, Habib Abdullahi, also presented a paper on Providing Essential Infrastructure and Workable Strategies to Overcome the Challenges of Ports Quick Turnaround of Time in Africa while the Deputy Chief Executive Officer Ghana Shippers Authority, Emmanuel Martey, presented a paper on Protection Surveillance and Security of Coastal Water in Africa.