DAR ES SAALAM, TANZANIA – Liberia has been nominated to host the 8th International Conference of the Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA), slated for next year.
About 45 African states and several regional and international organizations including the International Maritime Organisation, European Union, African Development Bank, International Shippers Union, and Industry leaders are expected to honor the AAMA-Monrovia Conference.
The nomination was made recently at the close of the 7th Annual Conference and General Assembly of the AAMA, when the Republic of Liberia was unanimously nominated by the Conference to host the 8th AAMA Conference in October 2025, while the Republic of Ghana is to host the 9th AAMA Conference and 8th General Assembly in 2026.
Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Ambassador Robert Wilmot Kpadeh, who led the Liberian delegation to the 7th AAMA Conference, told reporters in Dar Es Saalam, Tanzania that Liberia’s nomination to host the 8th AAMA Conference presents a great opportunity for the country to showcase its blue economy and tourism potentials, adding that the nomination also serves as an important platform to project Liberia’s re-election bid to Category ‘A’ on the IMO Council to the global maritime industry.
“I am just profoundly pleased that Liberia is regaining its recognition in the International community,” Ambassador Kpadeh emphasized.
For his part, Liberia Maritime Authority Commissioner General and CEO, Cllr. Neto Zarzar Lighe, Sr., who is also a part of the Liberian delegation, embraced with immense incitement the news of Liberia’s nomination, promising to ensure that Liberia offers great hospitality to member states and organizations that will be in attendance.
He vowed that the Liberian Maritime Authority will seize on the opportunity to showcase Liberia’s vast maritime and tourism potentials to the rest of the world.
He then thanked Ambassador Kpadeh and the entire Liberian delegation in Dar Es Saalam for their able representation which he said has yielded credible result for the nation and the world.
Meanwhile, the just concluded AAMA 7th General Assembly has decided to now host its General Assembly biennially while the group’s Conference will now be hosted annually.
The 7th AAMA Conference and General Assembly, which brought together 48 African countries and more than 10 regional organizations, was held by the Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation in collaboration with the International Maritime Organization under the theme “Navigating the Future of Africa’s Maritime Sector: Collaborating on Technology and Innovation to Enhance Safety, Security, Decarbonization and Marine Environment for a Sustainable Future” with the view of unleashing and harnessing the continent’s maritime potentials.
The Conference deliberated why the transition to decarbonize international shipping needs to be ‘just and equitable’ considering the potential impacts and opportunities that IMO adopted GHG reduction measures may have on Africa economies, including that of food security. It was also decided to appreciate the benefits that may accrue to African countries in terms of capacity building, infrastructural development, and technology transfers. Furthermore, the Conference stressed the need for gender diversity and inclusivity in the maritime sector and called for greater women participation at all levels; robust implementation of maritime single windows to facilitate maritime trade and commerce within Africa; the need for a sustainable financing framework to accelerate the financing and development of maritime projects within Africa amongst others.
