World Maritime Day: Sustainable, Inclusive Blue Economy Forged

“The concept of a "blue economy" is at crossroads with immense promise for global prosperity, yet unlocking its full potential hinges on a paradigm shift that embraces sustainable practices not as obstacles, but as cornerstones of growth.” This was a resounding message from a video recording of the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Arsenio Dominguez, played by Women in International Shipping and Trading (WISTA) during the World Maritime day celebration on September 25, 2025, held at the Ministry of Transport in Yaounde. During the one-day symposium convened under the theme? “Our ocean, our obligation, our opportunity,” Mariama Njika in a keynote presentation on behalf of WISTA Cameroon’s president, Linda Mabuh Mutoh, accentuated that “the ocean is a driver of trade, food, and sustainable development. Inopportunely, the ocean is under threat of plastic pollution, rising temperatures, pacification, and over fishing that keeps it at logger heads with human pressure.”

Edifying attendees from the Autonomous Ports of Douala, Kribi, Limbe, and Garoua, on the relevance of protecting the sea, Mireille Nguele Ahanda, while representing the Minister of Transport, Ngalle Bibehe revealed that, “though 80 per cent of Cameroon’s trade is done on the Maritime, 90 per cent of Global trade suffrage is done through the oceans which covers 71 per cent of the earth’s surface. This contributes to a significant increase of Cameroon’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Amidst a plethora of Maritime ventures such as ship navigation, marine engineering, port management, logistics, maritime law, marine biology, Oceanographic Research, and Environment...