By Mujidu Victor
African states need to foster a collaborative working relationship to boost their maritime sector.
This is according to Principal Secretary Maritime and Shipping Dr Nancy Karigithu.
Principal Secretary Maritime and Shipping Dr Nancy Karigithu[COURTESY]
She revealed this while speaking at the stakeholders’ consultative forum with the shipping lines serving the East and Southern Africa.
“The 2020 the global seaborne trade had surpassed 10 billion tonnes and is projected to continue growing at about 2.4 per cent on an annual basis. Africa as an emerging market was only contributing about 7 per cent globally. Among the outlined effects are emerging trends in shipping like decarbonisation of shipping, foreseen COVID-19 and its effects, global logistic chain disruption due to political instability in Ukraine, technological advancement, collaborative approach to Trade Facilitation, and shipping market structure, and business model among other fallouts.” PS said.
Dr Karigithu condemned the habit of working in silos and taking unilateral decisions on matters affecting the entire maritime industry saying it should stop for the benefit of everyone.
We as industry players must ensure we have synergised which are critical in supporting the maritime and shipping supply value chain. Maritime transport remains a key component in enabling the realization of a sustainable Blue Economy.”
The framework, she said will provide opportunities for regular deliberations and harmonization of issues in the regions.
The two-day scheduled forum was expected to find ways in curbing the effects affecting shippers in both Eastern and Southern African ports.
“By now you all be aware that the shipping and maritime industry has evolved from the medieval age to what we can be proud of today. However, as we speak now, industries are affected by the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic which put the global trade to a halt, affecting the mobility rate of maritime trade by about 3.8% between 2019 and 2022. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is another challenge that affected our industry,” said Dr Nancy Karigithu.
Adding that: “Due to these shared facilities, bodies, services, service providers, aspirations and indeed challenges, there ought to be a framework for collaboration amongst stakeholders. Such a framework would provide opportunities for regular deliberations and harmonization of issues in the regions.”
Karigithu commended Intergovernmental Standing Committee on Shipping (ISCOS) for organising the forum.
Shipping continues to dominate international trade by moving over 90% of the global trade volumes annually.
The dominance of Maritime Transport will only continue to grow as world economies continue to industrialize with the growth of international trade and commerce.
By the year 2020, the global seaborne trade had surpassed the 10 billion tonnes and is projected to continue growing at about 2.4% each year.
Africa as an emerging market was only contributing about 7% to this global figure. However, with the vast untapped resources (factors of production) on the continent, Africa is seen as the next global growth frontier which will see our contribution as a continent to the global shipping trade increase drastically.
The Intergovernmental Committee on Shipping (ISCOS) is a regional maritime organization operating in Eastern and Southern Africa whose founding members are the state of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
Its major roles are protection, promotion, and coordination of the shipping and maritime interests of its members and the region to an extent.
The meeting was attended by various participants across the region which include; the Maritime Administration of the region, Ports Authorities of the region, shipping lines servicing the region, shippers’ council of the region Freight Forwarders, Regional Revenue Authorities and ISCOS Secretariat staff lead by the ISCOS Secretary-General Daniel M. Kiange.
