Africa seeks to harmonise training and certification for boat operators

Boats at Lamu Island Seafront. [Maarufu Mohamed, Standard].

Gaps in the training and certification of small-vessel operators across Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa are driving efforts to harmonise standards for coxswains.

This proposed regional curriculum aimed at creating a common competency-based framework for training, assessing and certifying people operating small vessels in the coastal and inland waterways was backed by maritime stakeholders meeting in Mombasa.

The initiative is being led by the Maritime Organisation for Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa (MOESNA), following a Situational Analysis and Training Needs Assessment conducted by Bandari Maritime Academy (BMA).

The BMA's technical team has already developed a Grade three coxswain curriculum for consideration and adoption by member states.

Enock Okemwa, who led the consulting team at BMA, said the curriculum was designed to address differences in training systems and ensure operators acquire competencies that can be recognised across different waterways.

“The curriculum is designed to ensure coxswains acquire the practical skills, safety awareness and knowledge required to operate small vessels safely and professionally across different waterways,” Okemwa said.

The findings of the assessment were presented to stakeholders during a regional validation workshop in Mombasa, as MOESNA moves towards developing a framework that can be applied across different water transport environments.

The assessment found that small vessels play a critical role in transporting passengers and cargo, supporting fishing and connecting communities whose livelihoods depend on waterways.

However, it also identified major differences in how coxswains are trained, examined, certified and licensed, with some operators relying on formal maritime institutions while others acquire skills through experience, short courses, employer-based instruction or informal arrangements.

“Small vessels are an essential part of transport, fishing and the livelihoods of communities across the ESNA region, yet the training and certification of their operators remains uneven. We need clear and harmonised pathways that ensure every coxswain has the skills and safety competence required to operate these vessels effectively," Okemwa said.

The fragmented training systems have raised concerns about consistency of skills, particularly in vessel handling, emergency response, navigation and safety procedures.  The safety concerns are significant given the heavy reliance on small boats across the region.

Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) figures cited in recent reports show that at least 420 inland-water accidents were recorded on Lake Victoria between 2015 and 2025, resulting in 269 deaths.  KMA officials have also linked about 40 per cent of recorded water accidents during the period to factors including incompetence, negligence, human error and low safety awareness.

These figures have provided a backdrop to the regional push to improve the competence of people operating small vessels.

“Improving training and certification is essential to promoting safer operations and ensuring that our waterways can support transport, trade and livelihoods more effectively,” said Engineer Patrick Nyirenda, chairman of the MOESNA Technical Committee leading the initiative.

The training needs assessment found that the challenge extends beyond safety.  Some 86.8 per cent of respondents in the BMA survey said coxswains require some level of additional or new training, while 79.6 per cent reported difficulties finding operators with the required knowledge and skills within MOESNA member states.

These findings point to a shortage of appropriately trained personnel at a time when water transport is expected to play a greater role in regional trade, tourism, fishing and the wider blue economy.

MOESNA Secretary General Kassim Mpaata said stronger regional cooperation would be important in developing maritime transport systems capable of supporting economic growth.

“By working together, we will promote the maritime interests of member states and Africa through stronger policy coordination, enhanced regional shipping connectivity and sustainable blue economy initiatives,” Mpaata said.

The proposed curriculum places strong emphasis on practical competence.  Among the priority areas identified in the assessment are marine communication equipment and distress procedures, emergency response, first aid, fire prevention and firefighting, small-vessel handling, navigation and collision avoidance.

Other competencies include voyage planning, weather interpretation, vessel stability, loading procedures and passenger safety.

Search and rescue, environmental protection, pollution prevention and knowledge of national, regional and international maritime regulations have also been identified as essential areas of training.

The assessment found that practical training was regarded as particularly important by stakeholders, reflecting the operational nature of coxswain duties.

The proposed framework is also expected to address the challenge of workers seeking employment beyond their home countries.

The assessment identified limited information on international job opportunities, foreign-language skills, soft skills, competition from established maritime labour markets, differences in regulatory requirements and inadequate sea-time as some of the barriers facing workers.

“Coxswains seeking opportunities beyond their home countries face additional barriers, including limited access to information on international jobs, language and soft-skills gaps, differences in regulatory requirements and inadequate sea time," Okemwa said.

“Addressing these challenges through stronger training and regional cooperation can improve their readiness for both domestic and international employment.”

The push for a common curriculum comes against a background of different national legal and regulatory systems governing small-vessel operations.

The assessment identified Kenya as the only country among those reviewed with a confirmed structured coxswain curriculum, while significant gaps and inconsistencies were found in other countries.

Kenya has three coxswain grades, with training incorporating theoretical instruction and practical sea time. Other countries have varying arrangements, with some relying on fragmented training programmes and limited practical capacity.

MOESNA is also developing a model Merchant Shipping Act that could assist member states without adequate legal frameworks governing maritime training, certification and small-vessel operations.

The proposed legislation is not intended to replace national laws but to provide a common reference point for countries seeking to strengthen their maritime legal frameworks.

A regional certification framework is expected to complement the curriculum by providing a tiered system of certification based on demonstrated competencies.

The study has recommended standard core modules covering navigation, safety, engineering and vessel operations, supported by practical training vessels, simulators and mandatory sea time.

It has also proposed regional centres of excellence and mechanisms for mutual recognition of qualifications.

Another key recommendation is the recognition of prior learning, which would allow experienced boat operators who acquired their skills outside formal institutions to have their competencies assessed.

Those who demonstrate relevant skills could have their prior experience recognised while undertaking additional training in areas where gaps are identified.

Stakeholders say such an approach could bring experienced operators into the formal certification system without disregarding the practical knowledge accumulated over years of working on Africa’s lakes, rivers and coastal waters.