Namibians lose out on maritime jobs

WALVIS BAY -Namibia is losing out on high-paying jobs in the maritime sector as the country for decades is not on the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) whitelist.

This week a former trainee of the Namibia Maritime and Fisheries Training Institute (NAMFI), Mekondjo Amagola once again sounded the alarm on the costly stumbling block for Namibians taking up careers in the maritime sector. Whitelisting recognises countries whose maritime training, certification and assessment systems comply with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). It is crucial for the international recognition of seafarers’ qualifications and allows them access to employment aboard foreign-going vessels.

Currently the non-whitelisting of Namibia means that despite Namfi being among the best, those receiving these qualifications are only limited to work within Namibian waters.

The responsibility to get Namibia whitelisted lies with the Ministry of Works and Transport, through the Directorate of Maritime Affairs (DMA) Namibia joined the STCW Convention in 2001, committing itself to aligning its maritime sector with international standards. However, joining the convention does not automatically secure whitelisting, which requires the country to demonstrate compliance with the relevant requirements.

Amagola said Namibia’s continued absence from the whitelist limits the career growth of locally trained seafarers, despite decades of investment in maritime training. According to her, the situation is becoming increasingly concerning as Namibia prepares for the emerging offshore oil and gas industry.

She added that drilling rigs and support vessels entering Namibian waters are largely foreign-owned and foreign-crewed, hence Namibians would be missing out on senior positions and the high salaries associated with these jobs.

“The barrier is no longer a lack of talent, but a lack of international recognition,” she said.

Amagola said whitelisting is not Namfi’s responsibility alone, but requires coordinated efforts by the government, maritime regulators and other relevant institutions to meet international standards.

She then appealed to government and the line ministry to take urgent action to ensure that locally trained maritime professionals could compete for employment opportunities beyond Namibia’s borders. She also called for national local content measures requiring foreign. Deputy minister of Agriculture Fisheries Water and Land Reform Ruth Masaka acknowledged the concern, saying greater consultation was needed to address the matter.

“I will consult with the works ministry and see that we address this issue. It is indeed concerning that Namibians are losing out on such opportunities due to this,” she said. The issue was also raised in Parliament in September by Swapo member of parliament Modestus Atshipara, who questioned the continued absence of international whitelisting for Namfi.

Atshipara said the situation disadvantaged the institute’s graduates and had become more urgent following the discovery of oil and gas, as Namibia would need a properly trained local maritime workforce to benefit from the emerging industry.

He also called for the matter to be investigated and referred to a parliamentary standing committee.

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