President Buhari

The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport located in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, yesterday witnessed an unprecedented in-flights both domestic and international, as many delegates for the third Association of African Maritime Administrations AAMA Conference.

The third edition of the AAMA conference is being hosted by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA in conjunction with the International Maritime Organisation IMO, the apex global maritime regulatory agency.

The arrival of the delegates coincides with the reopening of the runway of the airport, which was shut for six weeks to facilitate a rehabilitation work, during which flights were diverted to the neighbouring Kaduna International Airport.

Also at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, located at the heart of the capital city and venue of this all-important conference also experienced a flurry of activities, as many of the delegates arrived the venue.

Many of the delegates including the media practitioners both foreign and indigenous ones were seen at the venue trying to do their accreditation and other necessary pre-conference documentations.

Notable among the delegates that arrived yesterday is the Secretary General of the IMO, Mr. Kitack Lim, who is one of the speakers and would be the guest of honour at the event.

Others include the Chief Executive Officer of Maersk Group worldwide, Mr. Soren Skou, Chief Executive Officer/Commissioner of Liberia Maritime Authority, Dr. James Kodlie, and representatives of European Maritime Association.

. It was further gathered that Chief Executive Officer of South African Maritime and Safety Agency SAMSA, Sobaitu Tilayi and interim chairman of AAMA as well as representatives from Malaysian Maritime Authority have all arrived the country.

The conference with the theme ‘Sustainable Use of Africa’s Oceans and Seas’, seeks to draw a roadmap for the future sustainable work plan for member nations of the association.

It therefore promises to be assemblage of who is who in the maritime industry, not only in Africa but also across the globe, as participants from over 32 African countries have all arrived Abuja.

Already, President Muhammadu Buhari, who is scheduled to hold talks with African maritime leaders on the sidelines of the event, would today officially welcome the participants and declare the conference open.