• Africa eyes seafarer shortage to boost maritime workforce role

• Training expands, but lack of investment hinders industry integration

African countries are moving to expand their role in global shipping to take advantage of a looming shortage of seafarers, expected to reach about 90,000 officers worldwide by 2026.

The continent currently supplies only 4% of the 1.9 million registered sailors globally, according to Ethiopian Transport and Logistics Minister Alemu Sime. This underrepresentation is striking for a region surrounded by two oceans and containing 38 coastal and island nations.

This disparity was a central focus of the African Maritime Conference 2025, which concluded in Addis Ababa on Thursday, October 16. The event convened ministers, experts, shipping companies, and training institutions from across the continent, all seeking to establish the African maritime workforce as a strategic lever for growth.

Tapping Human Potential

"The world is facing a critical shortage of skilled seafarers," Alemu Sime said, adding that given "the growing number of maritime universities across Africa, our continent can become an important base for the development of the global industry."

Africa possesses a large, youthful labor pool and is home to approximately 150 academies across several countries, according to François Joubert, CEO of YCF Manning, a company specializing in maritime labor management. Morocco and Egypt have well-established schools, some with international recognition, while South Africa has invested for years in technical training and international certification.

Nations including Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal are also increasing their initiatives in the sector, often with foreign support. In Dakar, for instance, cooperation programs with European institutions aim to strengthen local skills and align training standards with international merchant marine conventions. Beyond direct job creation, professionalizing the sector could generate significant revenue and boost the continent's influence in global logistics chains.

Obstacles to Integration

Despite this potential, the global shipping market remains dominated by foreign multinationals that control the majority of global fleets. The development of a genuinely integrated African maritime transport ecosystem is hindered by several obstacles.

A lack of investment in local shipping companies and port infrastructure, for example, prevents the rise of African operators capable of absorbing the trained workforce. Consequently, many locally trained African sailors are recruited by foreign companies, limiting economic benefits and preventing the formation of an integrated maritime industry on the continent. Furthermore, there is a lack of harmonization in training standards and coordinated investment among African states. For the experts gathered in Addis Ababa, overcoming these challenges will be crucial to realizing the full potential of African labor in the global maritime industry.

Henoc Dossa