Gambia hosts regional maritime ministers in Banjul
Ministers and experts from West and Central Africa will weigh a proposed regional maritime bank and the transformation of MOWCA into a continental body.
The Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure will host the 12th Ordinary Session of the Bureau of Ministers of the Maritime Organization of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) on 16 and 17 November 2026 in Banjul. Ministers, senior government officials and maritime experts from across the region will attend.
Discussions will cover the implementation of MOWCA's 2026 work programme, the proposed Regional Maritime Development Bank, institutional and financial reforms, and member states' contributions under the Regional Maritime Fund. Delegates will also consider the proposed transformation of MOWCA into the African Maritime Organization and a proposal to convene the first MOWCA Summit of Heads of State. Counsel Olimatou Danso-Malang, Director General of the Gambia Maritime Administration, said regional commitments must be turned into concrete action on maritime safety, security, port development and the blue economy.
Recommendations from the technical Meeting of Experts will be consolidated into draft recommendations for the Bureau of Ministers to consider. Earlier this year, Minister Ebrima Sillah assumed the MOWCA Chairmanship, and Danso-Malang was elected Chairperson of the Committee of Experts.
Why it mattersMember states will decide on the funding and institutional reforms that govern how MOWCA's maritime programmes are paid for and run.