MOWCA: Indonesia Awards $1.3 Million In Maritime Scholarships To Strengthen African Seafarers’ 

The Indonesian government has generously granted $1.3 million worth of maritime training scholarships to the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), aiming to enhance the skills and certification standards of 96 individuals from the region.

 This significant partnership, confirmed by MOWCA Secretary General Dr. Paul Adalikwu following the signing of an agreement with Indonesian authorities, includes two key training programmes designed to build capacity among seafarers and maritime instructors from MOWCA member states.

According to a statement, the scholarships cover comprehensive costs from tuition and accommodation to travel and daily allowances toward ensuring full support for participants. The training includes a “Training of Trainers” course based on the International Maritime Organisation’s model course IMC 6.09, aimed at developing qualified maritime instructors. The  second course focuses on the Assessment, Examination, and Certification of seafarers (IMO model course IMC 3.12), intended to equip maritime administrators and examiners with essential skills.

On the essence of the courses, the  SG said “The objective of the training programmes is to ensure that Certificates of Competence issued to seafarers from MOWCA region are fully compliant with the provisions of Standard of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping  (STCW) Convention.

“The scholarships cover the total cost of the programmes, including air transport, accommodation, tuition fees, and perdiems. for the TOT IMC 6.09 programme”.

Scheduled in four groups across October and November 2025, he said the programmes reflect MOWCA’s commitment to aligning regional seafarer certification with international standards under the STCW Convention.

The Secretary General emphasized that MOWCA’s maritime ministers have been informed about application deadlines and requirements, including mandatory drug-free tests, with July 15, 2025 set as the final submission date. Key regional maritime institutions in Ghana and Nigeria will also directly benefit from this capacity-building initiative, marking a major step forward in elevating maritime expertise in West and Central Africa.