African maritime leaders convene in Mombasa to shape continental net zero strategy
Date: 2026-02-09
By: Kanto Kai Okanta
African
maritime leaders, policymakers, and partners have gathered for the Association
of African Maritime Administrators (AAMA) Consultative Regional Workshop,
highlighting Africa’s strategic role in global maritime affairs.
Ambassador
Ali Mohamed emphasized that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Net
Zero Framework presents a significant opportunity for Africa to safeguard
trade, food security, and living costs while advancing green industrialization,
alternative fuels, and port-led development.
He
warned that fragmented approaches could impose disproportionate costs on the
continent, whereas a coordinated framework could stimulate demand for locally
produced alternative fuels, position African ports as future fuel hubs, and
strengthen Africa’s role in global maritime value chains.
The
workshop, organized by the Kenya Maritime Authority in its capacity as AAMA
Chair with support from the Office of the Special Envoy for Climate Change,
brought together over 25 AAMA member states, the African Union Commission, the
AfCFTA Secretariat, development partners, and private sector stakeholders.
Participants
engaged in technical discussions designed to build a shared African perspective
on the Net Zero Framework, linking it to continental priorities including the
African Green Industrialization Initiative (AGII), the African Ports and Rail
Agenda (APRA), and AfCFTA.
The
consultative forum aims to equip African stakeholders with evidence-based
insights to engage the IMO from a position of informed confidence ahead of the
October 2026 IMO deliberations and the forthcoming African Union Heads of State
Summit.
