IMO boss highlights Africa’s limited maritime presence
The African merchant fleet is woefully underrepresented on the global stage, the head of the International Maritime Organization, Kitack Lim, said during a speech yesterday addressing the Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA) in Abuja.
“Of the 35 shipowning countries in the world, holding approximately 95% of global shipping tonnage, none is from the African continent,” Lim noted.
He provided further statistics on the subject which show that in terms of share of ownership by country grouping, developing countries in Africa own only 1.23% while their counterparts in Asia own 36.24%. Africa also represents just 0.9% of shipping yard and marine-related industries.
The conference was told that trade between Africa and the rest of the world has increased by 200% since the start of the century, but these cargoes are carried predominantly on non-African hulls.