Following his sterling performance in acting capacity, Capt. Sunday Umoren has been confirmed as the substantive Secretary-General of the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Abuja MoU).
MMS Plus recalls that the motion was raised by the chairman of Abuja MoU and Ghana’s Minister of Transportation, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah’s and supported by delegates from other countries present at the 11th Port State Control Committee Meeting (PSCCM) of the Abuja MoU in Lagos.
Umoren has been functioning in an acting capacity since he took over the position from Barr. (Mrs.) Mfon Usoro in January 2021, after the end of her tenure.
Prior to his appointment at the Abuja MoU, Umoren was the Director, Maritime Safety and Seafarers Standards and Certification Department of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
He is a highly accomplished professional with deep knowledge and experience in various aspects of shipping including shipboard experience, marine operations and regulation, the statement said.
The Abuja MoU on Port State Control was signed at a Ministerial Conference held in Abuja, Nigeria by 16 West and Central African States on 22nd of October 1999. The meeting was organized by the International Maritime Organisation and hosted by Nigeria.
Abuja MoU is the legal document under which countries of the region agreed to develop and implement a common mechanism for their respective port state control activities.
The main work of the MoU is the harmonisation of the port state control procedure and practices of all the countries in the region aimed at eliminating the operation of substandard shipping within the region thereby ensuring maritime safety, security, protection of the marine environment from pollution.
It also includes improving the working and living conditions of ship crew, and to facilitate regional cooperation and exchange of information among member States.
Countries under the Abuja MoU include Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo, Cote d’ Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea and Equatorial Guinea.
Others are Liberia, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea Bissau, The Gambia, and Togo
