By Oluyinka Onigbinde
Former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has challenged African governments, maritime regulators and industry stakeholders to move beyond policy declarations and focus on practical implementation if the continent is to unlock the full potential of its maritime sector, blue economy and regional trade ambitions.
Peterside made the call while delivering a keynote address at the 8th WISTA Africa Regional Conference held in Lagos under the theme: “From Policy to Implementation: Women Advancing Africa’s Blue Economy through Sustainable Shipping, Trade and Energy Innovation.”
The former NIMASA Director-General, who spoke on “Maritime Policy, Net-Zero Transitions and Trade in Africa: Bridging the Gap Between What Africa Signs and What Africa Builds,” said Africa’s challenge is no longer a lack of policies or international commitments but the inability to translate those commitments into infrastructure, institutions, investments and economic growth.
According to him, the continent has signed numerous international conventions and regional agreements on maritime development, trade, environmental protection and climate action, yet continues to struggle with implementation.
“A signature is not a strategy. A convention is not capacity. A policy document is not a port. A declaration is not a shipyard. A roadmap is not a trade corridor,” Peterside declared.
He warned that policy without execution cannot modernize ports, build shipping capacity, train seafarers, reduce emissions or improve trade competitiveness, stressing that Africa’s maritime future would be determined by what it builds rather than what it signs.
Drawing from his experience in maritime governance, Peterside observed that many African countries have become proficient at domesticating international maritime instruments largely for compliance purposes but often fail to establish the institutional capacity and enforcement mechanisms required for implementation.
“There is policy, but no enforcement. There is regulation, but no implementation capacity. There is commitment, but no institutional discipline,” he said.
He argued that the consequences of poor implementation go beyond administration, affecting trade competitiveness, investment attraction, economic development and Africa’s position within the global maritime economy.
According to him, shipping, trade, ports, infrastructure, customs administration, energy, technology and finance form one interconnected system, making implementation failures costly to national and continental development.
Peterside highlighted major continental initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area, the African Blue Economy Strategy, the 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy and the Lomé Charter, noting that while these frameworks hold tremendous promise, they can only deliver results through deliberate execution.
He warned that without corresponding investments in infrastructure, institutions and human capacity, Africa risks becoming a spectator in a rapidly changing global maritime industry.
The maritime expert also devoted significant attention to the global transition toward net-zero emissions in shipping, noting that the decarbonisation agenda being driven by the International Maritime Organization will reshape vessel standards, financing, insurance, freight costs, port access and international trade competitiveness.
Rather than seeing decarbonisation as a burden, he urged African nations to treat it as a development opportunity capable of stimulating investments in green ports, cleaner shipping corridors, maritime technology, ship repair facilities and workforce development.
“The transition should be treated as a development opportunity,” he said, adding that Africa must position itself to benefit from emerging green shipping investments rather than simply complying with international regulations.
Recalling an emissions-monitoring initiative undertaken during his tenure at NIMASA in collaboration with the IMO through the Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre project, Peterside said the experience demonstrated that meaningful emissions reduction requires more than data collection.
He stressed that successful implementation depends on supportive policies, financing, technical expertise, infrastructure upgrades and broad stakeholder engagement.
“The net-zero transition cannot be designed in conference rooms alone. It must be understood in engine rooms, ports, ministries, boardrooms, training institutions, customs offices, shipyards and financing institutions,” he stated.
To position Africa for future competitiveness, Peterside identified modern ports, cleaner shipping corridors, regional maritime logistics networks, indigenous shipping capacity, credible emissions data systems, maritime human capital development, innovative financing and stronger institutional coordination as key priorities.
He particularly emphasized the need for African-owned shipping capacity, warning that the continent cannot continue to depend almost entirely on foreign vessels to carry its cargo while seeking economic sovereignty.
“Indigenous participation matters. Cabotage matters. Fleet development matters. Access to finance matters. Commercial shipping capacity is not just a business issue; it is a strategic economic issue,” he said.
The former NIMASA DG also called for greater investment in maritime education and skills development, stressing that Africa requires not only seafarers but also engineers, maritime lawyers, logistics experts, climate finance specialists, environmental professionals and technology experts to compete in the evolving maritime economy.
He further challenged regulators to evolve beyond enforcement and become facilitators of growth, innovation and investment.
“A policy without enforcement is an announcement. A standard without monitoring is a suggestion. A regulation without capacity is an illusion,” he warned.
Earlier, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, represented by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the ministry, Hajia Kaltum Ibrahim, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to building an inclusive and sustainable marine and blue economy where women and youths play leading roles.
Speaking while receiving recognition as Grand Patron of the conference on behalf of the Federal Government, the Minister described the conference theme as both timely and critical to Africa’s economic future.
He said while governments across Africa have increasingly embraced the blue economy as a pathway to sustainable growth, success would ultimately be measured by the ability to translate policies into tangible outcomes that create jobs, attract investments and improve livelihoods.
The Minister noted that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy was established to unlock the enormous opportunities within Nigeria’s maritime domain and position the sector as a major contributor to national development.
According to him, the ministry has developed a comprehensive National Marine and Blue Economy Policy that provides a strategic framework for the sustainable development of the sector.
He explained that the policy seeks to harness Nigeria’s marine and aquatic resources while promoting environmental sustainability, economic competitiveness and social inclusion.
The Minister added that strategic public-private partnerships remain central to the policy, serving as catalysts for investment, innovation, infrastructure development and value creation across the maritime ecosystem.
He, however, emphasized that sustainable growth cannot be achieved through infrastructure and capital investment alone.
“It must also be driven by people,” he said, noting that the policy places significant emphasis on the active participation of women and youths as critical stakeholders in the future of the blue economy.
The Minister said government is committed to expanding opportunities for women through capacity development, entrepreneurship support, leadership opportunities and skills acquisition across the maritime value chain.
“Promoting the participation and advancement of women in the maritime and blue economy sector is not merely a matter of equity; it is a strategic economic imperative,” he stated.
He noted that increased female participation strengthens decision-making processes, expands the talent pool, drives innovation and contributes to more resilient and competitive institutions.
The Minister further disclosed that government is working with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and other stakeholders to promote workplace inclusion and create a level playing field for qualified professionals across the maritime sector.
According to him, women are already making remarkable contributions as shipowners, maritime lawyers, logistics professionals, marine scientists, academics, administrators and business leaders, adding that the task ahead is to remove barriers limiting broader participation.
He commended the efforts of Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) in advancing mentorship, networking, advocacy, policy engagement and professional development for women in the maritime industry.
Calling for practical outcomes from the conference, the Minister urged participants to move beyond dialogue and embrace measurable actions capable of accelerating Africa’s blue economy development.
“Let us build stronger partnerships, invest in people, remove institutional barriers and create practical pathways that will enable more women to lead Africa’s maritime transformation,” he said.
Also speaking, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda called for deliberate actions to increase women’s participation and leadership across Africa’s maritime and blue economy sectors.
In a goodwill message delivered at the conference, Meranda described the theme as a timely reminder that Africa’s economic future cannot be fully realized without the active leadership, innovation and participation of women.
She noted that despite the growing contributions of women to the maritime industry, they remain significantly underrepresented globally.
Citing findings from the 2024 IMO-WISTA Women in Maritime Survey, she said women account for less than 19 per cent of the global maritime workforce and only about one per cent of seafarers worldwide.
She added that although more than 176,000 women are currently employed across various segments of the maritime sector and women occupy 34 per cent of board positions in surveyed maritime organizations, much more remains to be done to achieve gender balance.
“The challenge before us is therefore not one of potential, but of implementation,” she said.
“We must move beyond conversations about gender inclusion to deliberate actions that equip women to lead ports, shape trade policy, drive energy innovation, command vessels and influence decision-making across the maritime value chain.”
Meranda stressed that empowering women in the blue economy is not merely a matter of social justice but an economic necessity capable of accelerating sustainable development across Africa.
“As Africa seeks to unlock the immense opportunities within its blue economy, empowering women is not merely a matter of equity; it is an economic imperative. Every investment in women’s leadership strengthens sustainable shipping, accelerates trade competitiveness and expands prosperity across our continent,” she stated.
She commended WISTA Africa for creating a platform that empowers women to shape the future of maritime development and expressed optimism that the conference would inspire stronger partnerships, bold commitments and measurable outcomes capable of advancing women from the margins to the forefront of Africa’s maritime and blue economy development.
