Addis ababa: The Africa Maritime Conference 2025 kicked off on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, with a call for collective action to unlock Africa's vast seas and inland waters, expand the maritime workforce, and enhance global competitiveness.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the conference, held under the theme "Africa: the Next Frontier of Global Crewing Supply," brought together maritime academies, shipping companies, manning agents, and diplomatic representatives from across Africa and beyond. Ethiopian Minister of Transport and Logistics Alemu Sime emphasized the need for African countries to align their maritime training institutions with the demands of global shipping companies to supply a competent workforce urgently needed by the shipping industry.

"The world faces critical shortages of skilled seafarers, with the projected shortfall of nearly 90,000 officers by 2026," Sime stated, noting that with the increasing number of maritime universities across Africa, the continent is poised to become an important base for global crewing and maritime development.

Francois Joubert, chief executive officer of YCF Manning, a global maritime workforce management company, highlighted that Africa holds a limited share of the global seafaring market, despite its abundant maritime resources. "Of the 1.9 million seafarers worldwide, Africa accounts for just 4 percent. With roughly 150 maritime academies across the continent, there is significant untapped potential," Joubert said.

Joubert further explained that Africa is bordered by the Atlantic and Indian oceans, with 38 coastal and island states and some of the world's youngest and most dynamic populations. He stated that Africa is well-positioned to address the shortage of seafarers and become a dominant crewing force by 2030 and beyond.

"The world is running a shortage of seafarers, engineers, and officers who keep 80 percent of global commerce moving," Joubert noted, emphasizing that African countries are ideally situated to fill this critical gap.

The conference, which runs until Thursday, aims to produce a coordinated strategy to leverage Africa's human capital, regulatory frameworks, and logistical advantages to position the continent as a strategic player in the global shipping industry.