The third International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (IMDEC) opened here Tuesday, Aug. 29, with major stakeholders in the maritime industry, including maritime security industry players putting up exhibitions of their services and products at the Burma Camp, the headquarters of Ghana Armed Forces.
The two-day exhibition and conference hosted by Ghana Navy were opened by Ghanaian president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, with the Minister of National Security Albert Kan-Dapaah, and Minister for Transport Kwaku Ofori Asiamah in attendance.
There were also Chiefs of Naval Staff from many African, European and Asian countries present at the opening of the conference and exhibitions.
In his opening remarks President Akufo-Addo reiterated the need for the Gulf of Guinea countries to collaborate in making the maritime corridor of the Guinean gulf a safe and reliable maritime corridor for global trade.
He added that security along the Gulf of Guinea was critical to the sustainability of international trade
“No single country, ministry or agency can go it alone. Maritime commerce is interconnected in diverse ways, has the need for international regional and national collaboration towards achieving our collective aspirations,” the president stressed.
The president added that due to the recent global economic downturn developing countries need to engineer alternative and innovative solutions to propel their economies.
He said island developing states also needed to be proactive in harnessing the potential of the 24-trillion U. S- dollar estimated ocean wealth to mitigate their social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities.
Akufo-Addo noted that one of the challenges in the Gulf of Guinea maritime zone is the combined threat posed by the Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and its linkage to piracy, human trafficking and illicit drug and weapons smuggling, urging law enforcement agencies to consider using technology to break the vital link between these crimes and criminal syndicates.
“Technology has become a vital tool in our quest to sustain a safe and secure maritime domain. The critical challenges is that perpetrators of maritime crimes use sophisticated forms of technology which require a more innovative and advanced technology that gives law enforcement agencies a comparative advantage
“Let’s take charge of this domain in order to deny access to terrorist groups drifting southwards from the Sahel region towards the Gulf of Guinea,” Akufo-Addo urged.
The 3rd IMDEC is being held under the theme: “Consolidating the Gains Made in the Gulf of Guinea: The Role of Stakeholders and Technology in Sustaining a Safe and Secure Maritime Domain.”
Alongside the opportunities in the ocean, Albert Kan-Dapaah, the Minister for National security, said the countries in the gulf had faced the harsh realities of piracy and robbery at sea.
“These threats have not only endangered our economic interests, but have also posed challenges to our national security and stability,” he said, lauding the naval chiefs and other stakeholders for their efforts so far in securing the territorial waters of the region.
Rear Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu, Chief of Naval Staff, Ghana Navy, stressed the significance IMDEC in strategically uniting key stakeholders within Africa’s maritime sphere.
In that regard, Rear Admiral Yakubu said “IMDEC serves as a platform to reflect on our accomplishments and chart the course for a prosperous maritime future.”
“The blue economy offers solutions to numerous economic challenges in Africa if properly harnessed. To realize its potential, we must ensure our maritime space is safe and secure for business and shipping as advancements in onboard systems and rapid digital transformation require African navies to implement measures to safeguard their systems and operations,” He added.