Nigeria’s Adalikwu Takes Over As MOWCA Secretary-General

Dr. Paul Adalikwu has officially assumed the role of Secretary-General of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), following the final handing over ceremony at the organisation’s secretariat in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

The new Secretary-General in his remarks expressed gratitude to the Chairman and Government of Ghana for successfully hosting the Extraordinary Session in Accra, and thanked Mr. Luvambano for making out time to attend the handing over ceremony.

He urged him to continue to avail the organisation with his wealth of experience.

Dr. Adalikwu, who acknowledged the role of maritime trade in the global economy, promised that during his tenure, he would work towards a revolutionary turnaround in commercial activities in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG), an area in a safe and secured maritime environment leveraging on Nigeria’s success with the Deep Blue security architecture.

According to him, Africa is so endowed to have a positive impact on trading activities within its maritime domain.

The new Secretary-General promised working towards the actualisation of the launch of the Regional Maritime Development Bank (RMDB) by the second quarter of 2022, as he called on member States to ensure regular payment of their statutory dues to enable the organisation to achieve its set goals and objectives.

Ghana’s Minister of Transport and Chairman of MOWCA, Mr. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah thanked the government of Cote d’Ivoire for her continuous support to MOWCA and the former Secretary-General for honouring the invitation.

He recalled that the handing over exercise was the climax of a process that started at the 8th Bureau of Ministers and the 15th General Assembly held in Congo Kinshasa and concluded at the 16th Extraordinary Session held in Accra, Ghana in November 2021.

He reminded the new Secretary-General of the enormity of tasks ahead which can only be achieved when member countries comply with their obligation of paying their dues regularly.

Luvambano commended Ghana for the process that led to the final selection of the new Secretary-General and informed that it was indeed the desire of the organisation for Nigeria to produce the Secretary-General. He pledged his unalloyed support and cooperation to the new headship of MOWCA.