Stakeholders in Ghana's maritime industry validate NIMS for development of sector

Key stakeholders in Ghana’s maritime industry have assembled to validate the implementation plan for the National Integrated Maritime Strategy (NIMS).

The meeting gave stakeholders one final opportunity to assess the required mechanisms and effective governance strategies for the maritime domain embedded in the document ahead of official endorsement.

The stakeholders met earlier in July, in a 3-day implementation plan workshop after multi-disciplinary inputs were gathered for the draft strategy document.

The National Integrated Maritime Strategy is expected to serve as a key tool to strengthen the principles of effective governance in the maritime domain, address insecurities while engaging in sustainable exploitation to foster wealth creation from the ocean or marine resources.

The NIMS has technical and financial support from the Kingdom of Denmark and the United Nations Organisation on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The Director, Legal at the Ministry of National Security and the Coordinator of the Security Governance Initiative Osei Bonsu Dickson said the NIMS has the capability to serve as a beacon for neighboring countries to develop their strategies.

The Chief Director of the Ministry of National Security Lt. Col. Ababio Serebour (Rtd) expressed the government’s unflinching commitment to the NIMS and said developing the blue economy amid safety and security concerns should be paramount.

The Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority, Thomas Alonsi, called on the various actors and stakeholders that participate in Ghana’s maritime space to shun looking at their mandates in isolation of one another but work together towards the ultimate goal of efficiency and sustainability.

The Danish Ambassador to Ghana, Tom Norring said the Kingdom is committed to helping Ghana meet its maritime ambitions and revealed that Denmark has sent out a frigate to help combat maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea.

He said, “this Danish frigate is on his way here. It left a week ago from Denmark and should arrive in the waters very close to Ghana within the next few days.”