78 COMMENTARY Building on the 2024 Africa Ferry Safety Seminar in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and the follow-up workshop in Marrakech, Morocco, our Lagos Ferry Safety Conference represented a significant milestone in the journey towards improved maritime safety on the African continent, particularly in West and Central Africa. Co-hosted by Interferry, the Maritime Organisation for West and Central Africa (MOWCA), and the Lagos State Waterways Authority in June 2025, the conference brought together more than 220 policymakers, operators, regulators and key stakeholders from across the region and beyond. Together, we took bold and practical steps towards developing safer, more efficient and more sustainable ferry transport systems in a region where the need for reliable maritime services is both urgent and far-reaching. One of the most defining and impactful outcomes of the two-day conference was the signing of a landmark memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Interferry and MOWCA – a truly historic achievement. Co-signed by me and Dr Paul Adalikwu, secretary general of MOWCA, this MOU lays a robust foundation for long-term cooperation in tackling some of the most pressing maritime challenges faced by MOWCA’s 25 member states. This strategic agreement encompasses a wide range of joint initiatives. They include everything from launching targeted public information campaigns on ferry safety and sustainability, to organising capacitybuilding training seminars for maritime personnel, technical staff and safety officials. Charting a safer course Interferry and MOWCA’s joint conference in Lagos in June 2025 marked a turning point for the improvement of ferry safety and sustainability across Africa MIKE CORRIGAN A Canadian former energy industry executive, Mike Corrigan joined Interferry in 2017 after 14 years with BC Ferries – among the world’s largest ferry operators – where he was president and CEO from 2012.
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