LiMA BOSS: ‘IT’S NOT IMPOSSIBLE’

MONROVIA-The 8th Annual Conference of the Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA) got underway yesterday at the Ellen Sirleaf Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex, with the Commissioner General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA) challenging stakeholders to collectively confront the different challenges faced by the African maritime sector.

Cllr. Neto Zarzar Lighe, Sr. did not mince words in outlining the challenges and prospects in the global maritime chain, but made specific notation of the African maritime sector, which according to him is overburdened with many challenges.

Challenges faced by the sector

Cllr. Lighe named challenges as piracy, geopolitical tensions, infrastructure deficits, environmental degradation and regulatory gaps.

“While these challenges are not insurmountable,” according to him , “what is clear is that they transcend national boundaries and no country can solitarily address them within its institutional and jurisdictional limits.”

Commissioner General Lighe classified them as “shared challenges” and that addressing them “requires us to pool together our resources, expertise and knowledge.”

He has however informed the galaxy of maritime experts and business leaders attending the Conference that the AAMA provides what he calls “the institutional framework for collaboration and cooperation in tackling our shared challenges as a continent and establishing Africa as an enviable maritime powerhouse.”

He also told the gathering that the AAMA Conference comes at the time roles of maritime administrations are increasingly evolving.

In addition to their traditional functions of regulating the maritime sector by ensuring maritime safety, the LiMA boss said security and the protection of the marine environment, maritime administrations are now expected to be involved into other commercial and economic sectors of the state.

He further indicated that “These include facilitating trade, fostering economic growth and partnering with the private sector to explore opportunities in many maritime business areas.

LiMA embracing and evolving

At the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA), he disclosed that they are embracing the evolving trend and positioning themselves to meaningfully drive economic growth in Liberia.

The LiMA, he announced, is currently implementing a 5-year strategic plan that seeks to “position the maritime sector of Liberia as a pathway to sustainable growth and development.”

“The plan provides the roadmap for developing new business streams such as ship demolition and recycling, seafaring, bunkering, ecotourism, and expanding the domestic maritime sector,” Cllr. Lighe underscored.

He also asserted that the plan seeks to ensure a vibrant maritime sector by prioritizing the safety and security of our seaports, the jurisdictional waters of Liberia and other critical maritime infrastructures.

Working with partners

He told the gathering of maritime partners that the LiMA looks forward to working them in some of “these new maritime investments through private-public partnerships and other mechanisms.”

On the broader blue economy concept, he said Africa’s blue economy holds immense potential for marine transport, trade, sustainable development, food security, job creation, renewable energy, marine transport, tourism, and climate resilience.

“To maximize the potentials of the blue economy, we must first address some of the challenges confronting the sector such as Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, limited investment and limited capacity,” Cllr. Lighe stressed.

The African Union, he also disclosed, has set the roadmap for exploiting the potential of Africa’s blue economy sector through the Africa Blue Economy Strategy.

It aims, he added, to harness the continent’s aquatic resources for sustainable development, addressing challenges while promoting socio-economic growth for Africa and its people.

“Because the blue economy is a relatively new concept that is still evolving,” he noted,  “many African countries are still determining the appropriate institutional structure for exploring its opportunities.”

Liberia and others, the LiMA Commissioner General said, have chosen to incorporate it under existing ministries and agencies, while some countries have chosen to create separate ministries and departments for the blue economy.

These differences in approach highlight, Commissioner General Lighe stated, need for a “continental collaboration and coordination if Africa is to adequately harness its blue economy potential.”

He told the conference that he is of the fervent belief that the AAMA, the Maritime Organization of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) and other continental and regional organizations need to collaborate more with the AU on the maritime transport component of the blue economy, adding “This is crucial and needs urgent attention.”

The LiMA CEO used his statement to welcome delegates to Liberia, describing the moment a privilege to host “this meeting and to have you visiting us.”

“On behalf of the Liberia Maritime Authority and the government and people of the Republic of Liberia, it is my utmost pleasure to welcome you all to the Republic of Liberia,” he said.

Cllr. Lighe asserted that they at the LiMA are delighted to have the delegates attending the 8th AAMA in Monrovia.

According to him, it is the first time Liberia is hosting the annual meeting of a major regional or continental maritime organization or association, despite its longstanding history in shipping and global maritime governance and leadership.

Alphonso Toweh

Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets  including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and  did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters 
 He holds first  MA with honors in International  Relations and a  candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict  Resolution from the University of Liberia.