Key points
- Nigeria will host directors-general of maritime administrations from 22 West and Central African countries from June 29 to July 1, 2026.
- The workshop is part of a five-year capacity-building partnership between the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the Lloyd’s Register Foundation.
- Participants will focus on strengthening port state control, maritime governance, regulatory harmonisation and regional cooperation.
Main story
Nigeria is set to host the directors-general and chief executive officers of maritime administrations from 22 West and Central African countries under the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (Abuja MoU) on Port State Control as part of a regional capacity-building initiative aimed at strengthening maritime governance and safety standards.
The three-day workshop, scheduled to hold in Lagos from June 29 to July 1, 2026, is being organised under a collaboration between the Abuja MoU and the Lloyd’s Register Foundation (LRF).
The programme forms part of a five-year capacity-building initiative secured by the Secretary-General of the Abuja MoU, Captain Sunday Umoren, to support the training of policymakers and port state control officers across member states in the region.
According to organisers, the workshop will also feature the inaugural launch of the Abuja MoU–Lloyd’s Register Foundation Port State Control Capacity Building Programme, designed to enhance institutional capacity and strengthen maritime safety oversight across West and Central Africa.
Expected to attend the event are the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, who serves as Vice Chairman of the Abuja MoU, and Ebrima Sillah, Chairman of the Abuja MoU, alongside representatives from all 22 member states.
The issues
The workshop comes at a time when maritime administrations across Africa are facing increasing pressure to improve compliance with international maritime conventions, strengthen port state control regimes and address emerging safety, environmental and technological challenges.
Port State Control (PSC) remains a critical mechanism for ensuring that foreign vessels operating within national waters comply with international safety, security and environmental standards established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Stakeholders say strengthening PSC systems is essential to reducing substandard shipping, improving maritime safety and enhancing the region’s competitiveness in global maritime trade.
What’s being said
Organisers said the workshop is designed to raise leadership awareness of PSC responsibilities, induct newly appointed directors-general and heads of port state control, and build consensus on the ratification and domestication of key international maritime conventions.
The event will be held under the theme, “A Future-Ready Port State Control Regime: Leadership, People, Governance and Performance for Safer Maritime Systems.”
According to the organisers, discussions will focus on modernising port state control frameworks to address evolving regulatory, environmental, governance and technological challenges within the maritime sector.
The workshop will also seek to strengthen regional cooperation, promote institutional ownership of PSC programmes and improve readiness among member states for the implementation of the IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS).
What’s next
Participants are expected to develop strategies for enhancing leadership capacity, improving regulatory harmonisation and strengthening maritime governance structures across the Abuja MoU region.
The launch of the Abuja MoU–Lloyd’s Register Foundation Capacity Building Programme is also expected to provide a structured framework for long-term training and professional development of maritime regulators and port state control officers.
Outcomes from the workshop could influence future maritime policy development and implementation across the 22 member states, which include Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia and The Gambia, among others.
Bottom line
Nigeria’s hosting of the regional workshop underscores its growing role in advancing maritime safety and governance in Africa. By bringing together maritime leaders from 22 countries, the initiative aims to strengthen port state control systems, improve regulatory compliance and foster greater regional collaboration in building safer and more sustainable maritime operations.
