As global shipping enters a new era of stricter environmental regulations and market-driven sustainability standards, former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has challenged African maritime stakeholders to view decarbonization not as a compliance burden but as a strategic business opportunity capable of improving competitiveness, profitability and long-term resilience.
Speaking during a high-level webinar on “Green Maritime: Strategy and Operations Beyond Optics,” organised by Naturehedge in collaboration with the West Africa Green Economic Development Institute (WAGEDI), Gregory University, the SSA Hub and the Sustainable Energy Practitioners Association of Nigeria (SEPAN), Peterside said the future of global shipping would increasingly favour operators that integrate sustainability into every aspect of their operations.
According to him, green maritime has evolved beyond environmental advocacy to become a critical business strategy that influences operating costs, access to finance, investor confidence, regulatory compliance and an organisation’s licence to operate.
“Green maritime is about environmentally sustainable practices, technologies and policies that reduce impact on the environment,” Peterside said, noting that companies that successfully combine decarbonisation, digitalisation, innovation and operational excellence will be better positioned to compete in an increasingly regulated global shipping market.
He argued that sustainability should no longer be treated as a branding exercise but embedded into operational decision-making, technology adoption and long-term corporate strategy.
The webinar comes at a defining moment for the maritime industry as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) continues to tighten carbon-intensity requirements while the European Union expands the scope of its Emissions Trading System (ETS) to shipping, placing greater pressure on vessel operators worldwide to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve operational efficiency.
Against this backdrop, participants explored practical pathways for building greener and more competitive maritime operations, including voyage optimisation, just-in-time port arrivals, deployment of alternative marine fuels such as methanol, ammonia and liquefied natural gas (LNG), digital technologies and workforce training aligned with emerging environmental and safety standards.
The virtual event brought together shipowners, shipping companies, port authorities, regulators, financial institutions, energy stakeholders and maritime professionals from across the region to examine how Africa can strengthen its position in the rapidly evolving global maritime economy.
A recurring message throughout the discussions was that while regulatory compliance has become unavoidable, real competitive advantage will belong to organisations that integrate sustainability into their operations, financing models, data management and business strategy.
Also speaking during the webinar, Professor Magnus Onuoha, President of the Governing Council of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Associations Alliance (REEEAA) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of SEPAN, announced that the webinar series would culminate in a strategic pan-African workshop scheduled to hold in Accra, Ghana, in October of this year 2026.
The workshop, he explained, will provide maritime executives, policymakers, regulators and industry leaders with deeper strategic and operational insights into accelerating green maritime development across Africa.
Sharing practical industry perspectives, Managing Director of Damen Shipyards Capetown (DSC) in South Africa, Ms Hermione Manuel, highlighted how shipbuilders are increasingly embracing hybrid vessel technologies and other low-carbon innovations to improve efficiency while meeting global sustainability expectations.
Manuel described green maritime as the convergence of competitiveness, operational efficiency and regulatory compliance, stressing that sustainability is rapidly becoming a commercial differentiator within the global maritime industry.
The webinar concluded with the announcement of the next virtual edition scheduled for August 5, 2026, featuring Dr. Felicia Mogo, the first African woman appointed to the United Nations Group of Experts on Marine Environment and Socio-Economics.
Dr. Mogo will deliver a presentation titled “Navigating Sustainable Growth: Business Model Innovation and ESG in the Maritime Sector and Blue Economy,” focusing on how environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles can unlock new investment opportunities and strengthen sustainable growth across Africa’s blue economy.
Mr Sam Nwosu, anchor and executive consultant of Naturehedge said the continuing webinar series forms part of preparations for the upcoming Green Maritime Sustainability Workshop in Accra and reflects a growing commitment to building the strategic leadership, technical capacity and operational expertise required to position Africa as an active player in the global transition towards low-carbon shipping.
