Committee members of the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (Abuja MoU) on Port State Control have voted to extend the tenure of its Secretary General; Capt. Sunday Umoren for a further four years.
The decision was taken during a closed session of the body’s annual meeting, being held in Conakry, Republic of Guinea, from October 6 to 10, 2025.
The Abuja MoU — the regional port-state-control agreement that coordinates ship inspections across 22 countries in West and Central Africa — convened its 15th Port State Control Committee meeting at the Noom Hotel, Conakry, bringing together heads of maritime administrations, senior port-state control officers and policy makers from the region.
Nigeria’s maritime delegation at the Conakry meeting included Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola and the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola. Also in attendance were Dr. Kevin Okonna, Acting Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, and Emmanuel Maiguwa, President of the AMANO, among other senior officials from member states and observer organisations.
Committee sources said the vote to renew Capt. Umoren’s mandate was in recognition of his leadership of the regional PSC (Port State Control) body and the Secretariat’s efforts to strengthen inspection routines, data-sharing and capacity development across member administrations. Regionally, the Abuja MoU has been driving initiatives aimed at harmonising inspection procedures and improving the safety and environmental stewardship of shipping that calls at member ports.
The Conakry meeting — which the Abuja MoU secretariat announced in August and described as bringing together Heads of Maritime Administrations and senior PSC officers — is expected to focus on enforcement, inspection quality, data systems and cooperation between the regional MoU and the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Delegates are also to review concentrated inspection campaign results and ways to reduce the number of substandard ships operating in the region.
Nigeria’s ministerial presence at the meeting is widely read in maritime circles as part of a broader push to secure stronger international recognition and technical cooperation for Nigeria. Delegates at Conakry expect the minister to lead efforts to galvanise support for Nigeria’s bid to return to or secure a stronger category at the IMO’s audit/assessment frameworks — an outcome industry sources say would boost Nigeria’s standing in global maritime governance and unlock technical assistance opportunities for capacity building.
Capt. Umoren, who leads the Abuja MoU Secretariat from its Lagos office, has in recent months emphasised the link between robust PSC implementation and a sustainable blue economy for the sub-region — urging member administrations to prioritise inspections, data reporting and the protection of the marine environment. Participants at the Conakry meeting were reported to have engaged on the subject, with PSC enforcement and the sharing of inspection data featuring prominently on the agenda. (Ships & Ports)
The four-year renewal secures continuity at the Abuja MoU Secretariat at a critical time: the region faces persistent challenges including under-inspected vessels, gaps in inspection coverage at some ports, and the need to align regional PSC practices with international standards. Continuity of leadership, supporters say, could smooth implementation of new data-sharing arrangements and training programmes the Secretariat has been promoting.
