The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has intensified efforts to strengthen the country’s seafarer certification system as Ghana prepares for an International Maritime Organisation (IMO) audit in 2027.
The Authority has opened a five-day regional training programme at the Regional Maritime University (RMU), Nungua, bringing together maritime examiners, assessors and instructors from Ghana and six other African countries.
Participants from Cabo Verde, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Liberia are taking part in the programme, which is aimed at improving the quality and consistency of seafarer assessment, examination and certification.
The training is being conducted under the IMO Model Course 3.12 and is aligned with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).
Speaking at the opening, Deputy Director-General of the GMA, Mubarick Masawudu, said competent assessors were essential to ensuring that only properly qualified professionals were entrusted with vessels, cargo and human lives at sea.
He said a certificate of competence was more than a qualification, describing it as a guarantee to ship owners and families that a seafarer possessed the skills required to perform critical duties safely.
“A certificate of competence is a promise,” he said, stressing that the integrity of the certification process directly affects safety and confidence in the maritime industry.
Mr Masawudu said Ghana’s preparations for the 2027 IMO Member State Audit Scheme made the training particularly important, as the competence of assessors and the integrity of examination systems would be among the areas examined.
He expressed confidence that the programme would equip participants with updated knowledge and enable Ghanaian seafarers to compete effectively with professionals from other parts of the world.
He also urged participants to share knowledge and best practices gained from the programme to improve maritime training and prepare the next generation of seafarers.
The lead facilitator, Milton Alfredo De Jesus Baron Perico, said the programme would expose instructors to current approaches to assessing, examining and certifying seafarers.
He noted that emerging environmental challenges were also changing the demands placed on maritime professionals.
According to him, growing concerns over marine and air pollution require continuous upgrading of the skills and knowledge of personnel working in the sector.
He said the IMO’s efforts to reduce emissions from ships and encourage the use of cleaner fuels had created the need for corresponding changes in maritime education and training.
Mr Perico expressed confidence that the programme would contribute to improving maritime safety, security and environmental protection in Ghana and the participating African countries.
The GMA said effective assessment and certification systems were critical to the sustainability of the maritime industry because they determine whether seafarers have acquired the competencies required to operate vessels, handle cargo and perform other safety-sensitive duties.
It warned that weaknesses in examination and certification systems could undermine safety at sea while eroding confidence in maritime operations.
The regional programme is therefore expected to strengthen cooperation among African maritime institutions while ensuring that seafarer certification remains aligned with evolving international standards.
