Group laments odds against African seas and oceans; lists solutions.

Youngship Nigeria (YSN) at the weekend identified marine pollution, maritime piracy, maritime terrorism and criminality as well as poor and under developed intra-African transport system are key threats to the maximization of the opportunities presented by the African Seas and Oceans

The group, in a communique issued at the end of the virtual commemoration of the African Day of the Sea and Oceans 2020 organised by YSN on Saturday, 25th July, 2020,  appealed that these vices should be eschewed by all for common good.

This is contained in a copy of communique made available to nigeriamaritime360 and signed by Usman Shuaibu, National President and Emeghebo  Chigozie, National Secretary of the association.

Youngship Nigeria Forum is a non-profit association of young professionals in the Nigerian Maritime Industry and a department of Youngship International, a non-profit organization for young people working within the global maritime industry.

Among some of the agreements arrived at during the virtual meeting include that gas flaring, production and transportation spills, poor waste management systems, marine litters, indiscriminate ballast water discharges and the release of carbon monoxide from land and sea based sources are central to trapping heat in the atmosphere resulting in global warming and climate change.

The non governmental organisation decried low intercontinental trade in Africa, saying that the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) could result in a cumulative gross domestic product (GDP) of more than US$3.4 trillion, and would be the world’s largest free trade area since the formation of the World Trade Organization.

“That government at local, national, regional, continental and inter-continental levels as well as the private sector should cooperate for the optimization of the Seas and Oceans resources in Africa for the good of all.

“That marine pollution, maritime piracy, maritime terrorism and criminality as well as poor and under developed intra-African transport system are key threats to the maximization of the opportunities presented by the African Seas and Oceans and should be eschewed by all for common good.

“That gas flaring, production and transportation spills, poor waste management systems, marine litters, indiscriminate ballast water discharges and the release of carbon monoxide from land and sea based sources are central to trapping heat in the atmosphere resulting in global warming and climate change.

“That there is very low intra-African trade when compared with other continents.

“That the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement was identified as good development for enhancing and optimizing African seas and oceans resources due to expected increase in intra-African trade.

“That AfCFTA will result in a cumulative gross domestic product (GDP) of more than US$3.4 trillion, and would be the world’s largest free trade area since the formation of the World Trade Organization.

“That the AfCFTA has the potential to increase intra-African trade by 52.3% by eliminating import duties within the first four years of its implementation.

The group added that AfCFTA was identified as good development for enhancing and optimizing African seas and oceans resources due to expected increase in intra-African trade.

It added that despite huge infrastructure deficit, institutional instability, regulatory and policy issues among other problems, there are huge prospects for the shippers and Africa’s maritime development with the launch of AfCFTA.