Chairman of the Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has said that Maritime Administrations (MARADs) in Africa are set to tackle the twin issue of piracy, sea crime and illegal migration in the continent.
The AAMA Chairman who disclosed this to maritime journalists at the sidelines of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) council meeting in London said that the continent through her leaders has put in place the necessary framework to tackle all forms of criminalities, which will guarantee safety and security of lives and property and help harness the benefits of the blue economy.
According to him, some of the instruments being proposed to tackle crimes include; the Africa Integrated Maritime Strategy (AIMS) 2050, the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, the Djibouti Code of Conduct and the Lome Charter amongst other strategies.
Peterside also hinted that as part of its Medium Term Goals, AAMA as a body intends to partner Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) who are involved in rescue operations on the sea and international partners to tackle the challenge of migration by sea.
He also added that in order to stem the tide of illegal migration, the association is in the process of empanelling studies in selected African countries on illegal migration to enable them provide empirical data to the African Union for action.
“Let me assure you that African Maritime Administrations are determined to tackle the challenges in the maritime sector to maximize the benefits of the blue economy, but Africa and Africans are the ones to lead the search for solution to the problems plaguing African Maritime domain; the support of the international community will only be complementary to the effort of Africans”, he averred.
Recall that the 22nd Ordinary Session of Heads of State and Government adopted the 2050 AIM Strategy and its Plan of Action, including a roadmap for the incremental implementation of the strategy.
Peterside who is also the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) was recently unanimously elected as the Chairman of AAMA during the 3rd conference of the association that held at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.