In a dramatic show of urgency and regional solidarity, the Board of Governors of the Regional Maritime University (RMU) convened an extraordinary emergency meeting in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Monday, May 18, 2026. The high-stakes session was called to iron out pressing governance and administrative issues ahead of the University’s pivotal statutory Board meeting slated for June in Ghana — a gathering that will coincide with the institution’s grand graduation convocation.
Presiding over the emergency summit was Ambassador Alhaji Fanday Turay, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Transport and Aviation and Chairperson of the Board of Governors. His leadership set the tone for a day of intense deliberations, underscoring the urgency of aligning policy and administrative frameworks before the Ghana session.
The meeting drew a formidable lineup of maritime heavyweights: Cllr. Neto Zarzar Lighe Sr., Commissioner/CEO of the Liberia Maritime Authority; Dr. Jethro W. Brooks Jr., Acting Vice Chancellor of RMU; and Dr. Baboucarr Njie, Registrar of the University. Their presence was bolstered by regional transport ministers —Ebrima Sillah of The Gambia and Florentino Mendes Pereira of Guinea Bissau — alongside Dr. Paul Adalikwu, Secretary General of the Maritime Organization for West and Central Africa (MOWCA). This constellation of leaders highlighted the pan-African significance of the discussions.
The agenda was nothing short of critical: resolving governance bottlenecks, tightening policy frameworks, and ensuring administrative readiness. With the June convocation looming, the Board’s determination was palpable — no stone would be left unturned in preparing for what promises to be a landmark gathering in Ghana.
By the close of the emergency session, consensus was reached to hold yet another preparatory meeting before the Ghana convocation. This move reflects the Board’s ironclad commitment to presenting a united, efficient, and forward-looking front when the statutory meeting convenes.
The Regional Maritime University, long hailed as a beacon of maritime education and professional training in West Africa, continues to anchor regional cooperation and capacity building. Its role in shaping the next generation of maritime professionals is indispensable, and the Freetown emergency summit has reaffirmed the determination of its governors to safeguard that mission.
As the countdown to Ghana begins, the maritime world watches with anticipation. The RMU Board of Governors has signaled loud and clear: the future of maritime education in West and Central Africa will be steered with precision, unity, and vision.
