WISTA AFRICA URGES GOVERNMENTS TO TURN BLUE ECONOMY POLICIES INTO MEASURABLE RESULTS

WISTA AFRICA URGES GOVERNMENTS TO TURN BLUE ECONOMY POLICIES INTO MEASURABLE RESULTS
By prince Benson Davies
The Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association has called for a shift from policy declarations to concrete action in Africa’s maritime sector, stressing that only implementation will unlock trade, investment, and inclusive growth across the continent’s Blue Economy.

The position was canvassed at the 8th WISTA Africa Regional Conference in Lagos, hosted by WISTA Nigeria under the theme “From Policy to Progress: Women Delivering Africa’s Shipping and Trade Energy Future.” The conference brought together government officials, regulators, industry leaders, and maritime professionals to examine how Africa can convert its maritime potential into tangible economic value.

President of WISTA Nigeria, Dr. Odunayo Ani, said Africa’s Blue Economy holds strong prospects for expanding trade corridors, improving maritime connectivity, and driving prosperity under the African Continental Free Trade Area. She argued that the continent must move beyond drafting strategies to building systems that deliver results. According to her, effective collaboration between governments, regulators, and the private sector must be tied to innovation and measurable outcomes if the industry is to become more resilient and competitive. Dr. Ani also acknowledged the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, NIMASA, the International Maritime Organization, WISTA International, and other partners for their support of the conference.

Representing the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry, Hajia Kalthum Ibrahim, said removing barriers to women’s participation must be treated as a priority. She noted that women are already contributing meaningfully to the maritime industry, but more work is needed to ensure entry, retention, and leadership. Oyetola called for investment in skills development, stronger institutions, wider use of technology, deeper regional cooperation, and an enabling environment that allows women and young people to contribute to the sector’s objectives.

Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to gender inclusion and sustainable maritime growth. He said NIMASA will continue to partner with WISTA and other stakeholders to advance professional excellence and create opportunities for women in shipping. Mobereola stressed that coordinated action among governments, industry, and professional bodies is essential to harness Africa’s maritime opportunities.

Delivering the keynote, maritime strategist and former NIMASA Director General, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, challenged African governments to focus on execution rather than policy formulation alone. He observed that while the continent has adopted numerous conventions, regional agreements, and maritime strategies, the economic benefits remain limited without deliberate implementation. Peterside said Africa must prioritize institution building, infrastructure development, and capacity enhancement, while also expanding pathways for women to take on leadership roles. He added that experience shows women contribute stability to decision-making and are critical to the future of the continent’s maritime sector.

The conference concluded with a call for stronger regional collaboration, improved data for policy tracking, and targeted programmes to increase women’s representation across shipping, ports, logistics, and the wider Blue Economy value chain.

Dr. Peterside noted that shipping drives global trade, while trade depends on efficient ports, modern infrastructure, reliable institutions and a skilled maritime workforce. He described Africa’s transition to a greener maritime industry as an opportunity to modernise ports, strengthen indigenous shipping capacity, develop regional logistics networks, attract green investments and create employment for young Africans.

He further advocated stronger enforcement of maritime policies, greater institutional coordination, increased investment in maritime education and innovative financing models to position Africa for greater competitiveness in global shipping.

In his goodwill message, the Oniru of Iru Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Oba Abdulwasiu Omogbolahan Lawal, CON, Abisogun II, described the Blue Economy as one of Africa’s greatest opportunities for sustainable development, stressing that women have consistently played pivotal roles in commerce, entrepreneurship and community development across the continent. He commended WISTA Africa and WISTA Nigeria for creating a platform that promotes dialogue, collaboration and practical solutions for the maritime sector.

Earlier, Chairperson of the Convention Planning Committee, Dr. Oma Ofodile, while welcoming delegates from across Africa and beyond, described the conference as a historic milestone for WISTA Nigeria. She commended the organising committee, partners and volunteers for delivering a successful conference and urged participants to ensure that discussions translate into practical actions capable of advancing Africa’s maritime industry.

A high-level plenary session themed “From Commitment to Delivery: Maritime Policy, Net-Zero Transitions and Trade in Africa: Bridging the Gap between What Africa Signs and What Africa Builds,” examined practical strategies for transforming Africa’s maritime commitments into tangible development outcomes. Panelists emphasised the need for sustained investment in port infrastructure, stronger policy implementation, indigenous shipping capacity, regional collaboration, trade facilitation and climate-resilient maritime systems. They agreed that unlocking the full potential of Africa’s Blue Economy will require coordinated action by governments, regulators, the private sector and development partners to enhance the continent’s competitiveness in global shipping and trade.