Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Liberia aimed at deepening cooperation in ship registration, seafarer training and maritime governance.
The agreement, signed on February 14, 2026, brings together the Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation (TASAC) and maritime authorities from Liberia.
Officials said it is intended to strengthen Africa’s role in the global maritime sector.
Speaking at the signing, TASAC Director General Mr Mohamed Salum said the MoU provides a framework for practical cooperation in maritime governance, capacity building and regulation.
“Liberia’s experience as a global leader in ship registration and compliance oversight offers Tanzania an opportunity to strengthen its international ship registry and maritime workforce,” he said.
Liberia, which recently overtook Panama in ship registration tonnage, has decades of experience in global shipping, technical oversight and participation in the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Mr Salum said the agreement will allow Tanzanian officials and seafarers to benefit from exchange programmes, technical training and professional certification. The programmes will enable them to work on ships registered under Liberia’s flag.
He said the partnership lays a foundation for professional growth and a stronger maritime sector across the continent.
Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the IMO, Mr Wilmot Kpadeh, described the agreement as a milestone for both countries.
“Africa currently supplies only four percent of the world’s 1.9 million seafarers, despite its vast coastline. Together, we can train, certify and empower a new generation of African maritime professionals,” he said.
Mr Kpadeh added that cooperation between African countries can strengthen maritime governance and unlock the continent’s blue economy potential.
He said the partnership also opens doors for Tanzania to benefit from Liberia’s long-standing engagement with the IMO, including participation in agenda submissions and policy discussions.
The signing comes as Tanzania’s maritime sector expands. Dar es Salaam Port, which once handled 17 million tonnes annually, now processes about 31 million tonnes.
The country has also invested in seafarer training through institutions such as the Dar es Salaam Maritime Institute, attracting students from several African countries.
In addition, Tanzania has strengthened maritime safety and security, including the launch of the Mwanza Search and Rescue Centre on Lake Victoria and the deployment of rescue boats along the coast.
Officials said plans are under way to align the sector’s five-year strategic plan with the national Vision 2050 agenda to support long-term growth in trade and the blue economy.
