On the occasion of the African Day of Seas and Oceans, these members of WIMA Cameroon met in Togo.

"Development of the blue economy in Africa and empowerment of women in the maritime and port sectors". This was the theme of the African Day of Seas and Oceans celebration organised at the end of July in Lomé, Togo. The event brought together many women of the maritime sector, including the ladies of the Cameroon National Shippers' Council (CNSC), a member of the Women In Maritime (Wima) association.

This celebration was marked by a visit to the Lomé fishing port and the Diamine-Zuma Centre dedicated to the processing and conservation of fishing products. The aim of these visits was not only to meet with these women from the fishing sector in order to learn about the day-to-day difficulties they encounter, but also to find possible remedies to their plight. It should be noted that Wima Africa has been providing support to Togolese women in the fisheries sector for several years now.

The association, which brings together women working in the maritime sector across the African continent, has as its objectives the promotion of women's empowerment within the framework of the African Union's Agenda 2063. It also strives for the orientation and engagement of women as key players in the maritime sector.

During the meeting in Lomé, several conferences were held on themes relating to the development of the blue economy in Africa, the empowerment of women in the maritime sector and the blue economy, and these themes guided discussions between the panelists and the audience.

Claire Onana Takouhop, CNSC Director of Assistance to Shippers and Vice President in charge of AfCFTA, led the CNSC delegation which included Marguerite Lewondo Mbassi, Vice President of the Blue Economy at Wima Cameroon. They, in turns, presented the different actions carried out by Wima Cameroon to strengthen the blue economy in Cameroon, and to empower its women.

The blue economy also called "the new frontier for Africa’s development", is defined by the African Union as a "development resource" where the planning integrates coastal tourism, marine biomedicine and the cosmetics industry, the ethical industry, maritime communication and traffic, maritime power industry, maritime fishing and aquaculture, sea salt industry, offshore mining, offshore oil and gas industry, seawater use, maritime engineering, shipbuilding and repair.

Aiming from the outset for "a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development", Agenda 2063 acknowledges the immense potential of the blue economy as a catalyst for socio-economic transformation through an appropriation of marine and aquatic biotechnology, the growth of Africa's vast maritime trade, the development of river and lake-based fishing and shipping, and the exploitation of deep-sea and other mineral resource enrichment.

Source: Le Financier d'Afrique n° 1051