The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Tanzania and Liberia, representing West and East Africa respectively, establishes a practical framework for maritime collaboration.
By Blue Africa News
Tanzania and Liberia have signed a new partnership penciled on strengthening African maritime cooperation by expanding seafarer training, certification and institutional collaboration.
The signing ceremony took place in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania on February 14, 2026, bringing together Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation (TASAC) and maritime authorities in Liberia. Through the partnership, Tanzania seeks to tap on Liberia’s vast maritime knowhow, with the country being the sole African holder of a category “A” seat within the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council.
According to the Director General of TASAC, Mohamed Salum, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries, representing West and East Africa establishes a practical framework for collaboration.
“Liberia’s experience as a global leader in ship registration and compliance oversight offers Tanzania an opportunity to strengthen its international ship registry and maritime workforce,” Salum said.
As a global leader in ship registry, Salum noted that Liberia has a lot to offer, bringing on the table decades of experience in global shipping, technical oversight and active participation at the IMO.
He hailed the agreement, stating that Tanzania stands to gain big time, with the country’s officials and seafarers set to benefit from exchange programs, specialised technical training, and professional certification, creating opportunities for Tanzanian professionals to work aboard vessels registered under Liberia’s flag.
“This collaboration with Liberia marks an important step in enhancing our maritime training capacity and regulatory cooperation. By working together, we can raise professional standards, improve safety and efficiency, and position our countries to play a stronger role in the global maritime sector.”
And speaking on behalf of Liberia, the nation’s Permanent Representative to the IMO Robert Wilmot Kpadeh, described the partnership as a milestone for both countries and a strategic investment in Africa’s maritime future.
Africa, regretted Kpadeh, only supplies a fraction of the world’s 1.9 million seafarers. “Africa currently supplies only four 4% of the world’s 1.9 million seafarers, despite its vast coastline. Together, we can train, certify and empower a new generation of African maritime professionals,” said Kpadeh.
“The cooperation between Liberia and Tanzania will help strengthen maritime governance frameworks while unlocking the continent’s vast blue economy potential,” he added, emphasising that deeper regional collaboration is essential to building competitive maritime institutions and creating opportunities for African youth.
In the long run, the MoU is expected to position Tanzania as a beneficiary to Liberia’s long-standing engagement at the IMO, including active participation in agenda submissions, technical committees, and global maritime policy discussions.
The Liberian Maritime Authority (LMA) says the partnership reflects a shared commitment to advancing Africa’s presence in the global maritime industry and fostering sustainable development through skills transfer, knowledge sharing, and institutional cooperation.
“This exchange of expertise is expected to support capacity building and align both countries more closely with international maritime standards.”
African maritime authorities are embracing bilateral maritime partnership and collaboration so as to grow the blue economy across the continent.
In December 2025, the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) and the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) formalised a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance bilateral maritime cooperation between Namibia and Egypt.
SCA is an Egyptian state-owned authority which operates and maintains the Suez Canal, while Namport manages and operates both the Port of Walvis Bay and the Port of Lüderitz in the Southern African nation.
The MoU focuses on capacity building, port infrastructure development, marine asset management, dredging expertise and information sharing, geared toward supporting Namport’s ambition to position Namibia as a leading regional logistics hub and transshipment centre on Africa’s western seaboard.
The two authorities agreed to exchange expertise and promote bilateral cooperation in various sub sectors, among them maritime construction works, sales and chartering marine units, and maritime training through the SCA’s maritime training and simulation academies.
Oliver Ochieng, Blue Africa News