Sierra Leone Unveils Maritime Digitisation Plans, Seeks Partnerships at Maiden Blue Africa Conference in Lagos
Sierra Leone has begun concrete plans for the digitisation of its maritime sector and is actively seeking partnerships in port modernisation, fisheries, and sustainable ocean-based industries, the country’s Minister of Transport and Aviation Alhaji Fande Turay declared on Thursday at the maiden edition of the Blue Africa Conference in Lagos.
Addressing delegates at the high-level gathering, Turay stressed that no African port can realise its full potential in isolation. He linked the efficiency of ports directly to the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), stating that seamless trade corridors and modern terminal operations are essential if the continent is to maximise the agreement’s benefits.
“Infrastructure alone is not enough,” the minister said. Africa, he insisted, must invest deliberately in its people by strengthening maritime training institutions and accelerating capacity development across the value chain. According to him, without skilled seafarers, terminal operators, regulators and blue-economy professionals, physical assets would remain underutilised.
Turay also highlighted the critical importance of fisheries to national and regional economies while warning that Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing continues to undermine Africa’s growth prospects.
He identified marine pollution and weak environmental practices as additional threats that must be confronted if the continent is to protect its marine ecosystems.
Moving beyond rhetoric, the minister called on African governments and stakeholders to shift from endless discussions about the blue economy to actual implementation. He urged the development of bankable projects that can attract partners, investors and development finance institutions.
Sierra Leone, he announced, is open to collaboration in four priority areas: port modernisation, sustainable fisheries, broader investment mobilisation, and the growth of ocean-based industries. He emphasised that the maritime ecosystem must be wisely governed and given statutory protection, underpinned by efficient ports and safe waters.
Turay expressed Sierra Leone’s readiness to work closely with Nigeria, the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) and other stakeholders to translate the outcomes of the Blue Africa Conference into concrete regional action.
“Africa is a Blue Economy continent,” the minister declared, framing the resource as both a shared heritage and a strategic opportunity that requires coordinated, practical action rather than continued talk.
The maiden Blue Africa Conference, jointly put together by MOWCA, Blue Africa News and and Bahari Network ihosted in Lagos, has drawn policymakers, port operators, investors and maritime professionals from across the continent to chart a more integrated and sustainable approach to Africa’s ocean economy.
