{"id":19839,"date":"2026-01-30T16:06:52","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T15:06:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/?p=19839"},"modified":"2026-01-30T16:25:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T15:25:10","slug":"regional-maritime-cooperation-equatorial-guinea-strengthens-engagement-with-mowca-during-strategic-visit-by-the-secretary-general","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/regional-maritime-cooperation-equatorial-guinea-strengthens-engagement-with-mowca-during-strategic-visit-by-the-secretary-general\/","title":{"rendered":"Regional Maritime Cooperation: Equatorial Guinea Strengthens Engagement with MOWCA During Strategic Visit by the Secretary General"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Regional maritime cooperation in West and Central Africa has gained new momentum following a high-level strategic visit by the Secretary General of the Maritime Organization of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), Dr Paul Adalikwu, to the Minister of Transport of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. The meeting marks a further step toward stronger maritime governance, enhanced Gulf of Guinea security, and sustainable blue economy development.<\/p>\n

A Strategic Visit to Advance the Regional Maritime Agenda<\/h3>\n

Held at the Ministry of Transport in Malabo, the working session aimed to reinforce Equatorial Guinea\u2019s active participation in MOWCA programmes and decision-making processes. The visit forms part of MOWCA\u2019s broader engagement with Member States to support institutional reforms and accelerate implementation of its regional maritime strategy.<\/p>\n

Discussions focused on aligning national maritime and transport priorities with regional and continental frameworks, particularly in the areas of maritime safety, port development, transport connectivity, and trade facilitation.<\/p>\n

Maritime Safety and Port Security in Focus<\/h3>\n

Maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea featured prominently in the talks. Both parties stressed the need to strengthen coordination on maritime domain awareness, port State and flag State control implementation, and joint regional security initiatives.<\/p>\n

Particular emphasis was placed on reinforcing cooperation under the Yaound\u00e9 Architecture, which remains the core regional framework for combating piracy, armed robbery at sea, and other illicit maritime activities across West and Central Africa.<\/p>\n

Capacity Building and Maritime Governance Support<\/h3>\n

Institutional and human capacity development was identified as a key pillar of cooperation between MOWCA and Equatorial Guinea. Priority areas discussed included:<\/p>\n