May 2021

The United Nations
Development Prog
r am (UNDP ) ,
Resident Representative
to Sierra Leone, Dr. Pa
Lamin Beyai, on Wednesday
the 10th of February
2021 handed over three
(3) refurbished Search and
Rescue vessels to the Sierra
Leone Maritime Administration.
According to the UNDP
Resident Representative,
the refurbishment of the
three vessels was a response
to the Maritime
Administration’s request

to UNDP to support the Search and
Rescue operations of the agency in
order to save lives of people who are in
distress at sea. He asserted that people
would not lose their lives needlessly
where there is a prompt emergency
response to call for help by people in
distress at sea.
The Resident Representative called
on the management of the Sierra
Leone Maritime Administration to
not just focus on Search and Rescue
operations but also to make sure that
the institution focusses on acts of
criminality that happens within the
territorial waters of Sierra Leone. He
pointed out that most trawlers fish illicitly
in the country’s territorial waters
with impunity.
Dr. Beyai urged that apart from
the saving of lives at sea, other regulated
and mandated functions of the
Maritime Administration should also
pursue and exploit the potential of the
Blue Economy. He reiterated that the
Blue Economy is a potential resource
for huge employment and revenue
generation for the country.
It was highlighted that the Blue
Economy is growing and the maritime
sector could be harnessed to create

jobs for the people of Sierra Leone. The
Administration should be the institution
that will guide this path in meeting the challenges
ahead in order to graduate from Green
Economy to the Blue Economy.
The Executive Director of the Maritime
Administration, Paul Sobba Massaquoi said
that he appreciated the good work done by the
UNDP in providing the funds and the contractor
for the refurbishment of the three (3)
old Search and Rescue vessels. He affirmed
that the refurbished boats will accelerate
rescue operations whenever the need arises.
Executive Director further maintained that
when he took over the mantle of leadership
at Maritime, there was nothing to write home
about when it came to search and rescue
operations in the country.
He called on UNDP Resident Representative
to Sierra Leone to continue to
focus on the Maritime sector, because the
sector has a huge potential especially as it
contains the untapped resources of the Blue
Economy.
Maritime Search and Rescue Manager,
Alfred Kefason stressed that the rescue operations
assets at the Sierra Leone Maritime
Administration have been enhanced. He said
that the Administration can now respond to
promptly Search and Rescue alerts everywhere
in the country.

SLMA Represents Sierra Leone On the International Maritime Stage for the First Time in 46 years

After a 46-year interval, Sierra Leone
has sent qualified and competent Seafarers
onboard an international Vessel. In
fact, if the current Sierra Leone Maritime
Administration (SLMA) Executive
Director, Mr. Paul Sobba Massaquoi,
gets his way, Sierra Leone will have 800
Seafarers on board numerous vessels
flying the Sierra Leone Flag within the
foreseeable future.
The SLMA, being an agency under
the Ministry of Transportation and
Aviation, is a member of an international
body – the International Maritime
Organisation (IMO), a specialised
agency of the United Nations (UN),
which adopts Conventions that help ensure
safety at Sea as well as protection of
the marine environment and maritime
security. One of the key Conventions
adopted by the IMO was the Standard of
Training, Certification and Watchkeeping
(STCW) in 1978. This Convention
provides the requisite basis and requirement
for any personnel who wishes to
operate onboard a Vessel. However due
to the fact that Sierra Leone has yet to
domesticate Conventions like these (i.e.
incorporate them into national laws),
the nation had been blacklisted by the
IMO. A consequence of being blacklisted
was that any certificate of competency
issued in Sierra Leone would
not be recognised by the international
community. This has hindered Sierra
Leoneans who wish to work as Seafarers
as they could not meet the minimum
requirement needed. Currently, those
who wish to obtain this certification
have no option but to leave Sierra Leone
and study abroad at institutions such
as the Regional Maritime University
in Ghana.
Executive Director, Mr. Massaquoi

alongside his
De p u t y E x –
ecutive Director,
Mr. Sama Ansu
Gamanga, feel
that the choice
to study abroad
should be just
that: a choice.
Rather than a
narrative dictated
to masses. As a

result of this unfavourable position, there were only a few
qualified Seafarers in possession of the STCW certificate in
Sierra Leone. The few that have managed to overcome these
obstacles had yet to fulfil their dream of working onboard a
vessel. However, Mr. Massaquoi and his team have been in
consultation with the IMO and the Sierra Leone parliament
to incorporate the provisions of the STCW Convention into
national laws. Notwithstanding the above, two of SLMA’s
finest, Lamin Haru Kanu and Nabieu Bnagara, will represent
the mighty nation of Sierra Leone as Seafarers onboard an
International Vessel. This great feat is merely the first step
towards realising the dream that Mr. Massaquoi has for the
Maritime industry in Sierra Leone.
The domestication of the STCW will enable SLMA to
fulfil the requirements needed to be removed from IMO’s
blacklist. This would empower SLMA to recommend institutions
and organisation to offer Maritime courses that will
be internationally recognised. Once Sierra Leone has been
whitelisted, Mr. Massaquoi aims to begin plans to develop a
Maritime University in Sierra Leone. Students will no longer
need to travel abroad to attain an STCW certification. The
Nation will be able to boast of homegrown talents that will
raise the maritime standards in Sierra Leone. Currently,
there are 400 Vessels registered in Sierra Leone. Prior to
this time, there was no Sierra Leonean Seafarer onboard
any. Now, we have two. By the time the STCW has been
domesticated, Mr Massaquoi and Mr. Gamanga aim to have
two Sierra Leoneans on board every Sierra Leone registered
Vessel. So, by the time it’s all said and done, the administration
under the leadership of Mr. Paul Sobba Massaquoi will
be able to boast of 800 Sierra Leonean Seafarers operating
onboard International Vessels.

Support From Slmarad To Enhance Efficiency And Effectiveness

The Sierra Leone Maritime Administration
established by an Act of Parliament
in 2000 as an autonomous body for the
registration of ships and other vessels
and the regulation and development
of improved standards of performance
and practices in the shipping industry in
Sierra Leone. It is also charged with the
responsibility of licensing and ensuring
the safety of Maritime personnel and
the regulation and development of
Maritime, Coastal, and Inland water
transportation.
The Sierra Leone Maritime Administration
with support from SLMRAD
received a huge consignment of safety
gears and radio communication equipment
to enhance efficiency and effectiveness
at the work place. SLMRAD also
supported SLMA with more than two
thousand (2,000) Safety Life Jackets.
These Jackets will be distributed to
crossing points across the country at
no cost. It is expected that Maritime

Regulators and Boat owners will enforce the use of these
Safety Life Jackets to ensure safety at sea.
The lack of radio communications equipment hindered
SLMA’s Search and Rescue efforts over the years. Management
is very pleased and extends their deepest appreciation
to SLMRAD for the timely support. Plans to distribute
the equipment across the country are underway.

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