By Moses Ebosele, ebosele@hotmail.com
The 2019 Global Maritime Security Conference (GMSC) is to hold October 7th—9th, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, Nigeria.
Hosted by Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the conference aims to facilitate a clearer understanding of the challenges of maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea region and develop tailored solutions as well as coordinate efforts at strengthening regional and international collaborations to extinguish maritime threats in the region.
Already, President Muhammadu Buhari has been scheduled to give the keynote address.
Other stakeholders expected at the conference are: Secretary General, International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Africa Union Commission Chairperson, Nigeria’s Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Maritime Administration And Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, Nigeria’s Chief of the Naval Staff, and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) President, among others.
Information made available to City BusinessNews (www.citybusinessnews.com) on Sunday indicates that the conference has the following objectives:
“Define the precise nature and scope of coordinated regional responses to maritime insecurity vis-à-vis intervention supports from external actors/partners.
“Evaluate the relevance and impacts of the various interventions initiated already to tackle maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea with a view to revising and adapting them to address the current challenges.
“Decisively move towards policy harmonization and effective implementation through regional integration and cooperation as principal method for delivering effective and efficient security in the region.
“In addition to tackling threats to maritime security, strategize alternative approach to prevent cyber security attack and other forms of emerging maritime security threats.
“Advocate for deeper global commitment to deployment of resources for ending maritime insecurity within the region”.
Explaining further, the organizers said: “In most recent times, maritime security issue features prominently on the agenda of international and national discourse on sustainable development, particularly the use of oceans and seas”.
Also expected at the conference are: Relevant Government Ministries And Agencies, Navy and Coast Guards Regulatory bodies, Maritime Lawyers and Professionals Insurance firms, Banks and Finance Sector, Oil and Gas sector, High Level Industry Practitioners, Ship Owners, among others.
