The Minister of Transport , Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe, has urged a consultant from the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, to help Cameroon get out of blacklisted countries for non- respect of martime training standards.

An audience was held between the IMO delegation and the Minister of Transport on Monday 24th April 2023. This meeting comes in a time when IMO is carrying out a mission to evaluate the needs concerning the implementation of the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping , STCW, for Seafarers in Cameroon. Speaking during the audience, the transport minister appreciated the  Secretary General of the IMO, Kitack Lim for having responded favourably to the request of the Cameroon government by mandating an expert to carrry out the evaluation visit.

He futher urged the Inspector General of Maritime Education and the IMO consultant to help Cameroon get off the blacklist of countries that do not respect the maritime training standards of the STCW 1978 Convention. Cameroon finds itselft in  a list of seven countries including Egypt, Togo, Algeria, Comoros, Albania, and Republic of Moldovia , whose maritime are deemed highly risky for seafarers.

On his part, the IMO expert explained that the objective of his mission to that the objective of his mission to Cameroon is to evaluate the level of implementation of the STCW 1978 Convention in Cameroon in order to identify the gaps and possible needs which will serve as a basis for establishing technical assistance. The IMO consultant says assistance to be provided to Cameroon to enable it to issue maritime certificate and Licenses. This work visit which started on Monday 24th April 2023 is slayed to end on Firday 28th after visiting Kribi, Edea, Douala and Limbe.