Funded by the European Union with a budget of EUR 8 million, the project “Institutional Support to the Kenyan Transport Sector” (ISKTS) destined to the Kenyan Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development & Public Works is being implemented from 2017 to 2023.
The general objective of the project, of which this contract is part, is to contribute to an accelerated and inclusive economic growth, thus reducing poverty, via a more efficient and at the same time sustainable transport sector. In that regard, one of the project’s components includes the development of the blue economy. Kenya’s coastal and marine environment is endowed with rich natural resources, which are of immense social and cultural value to the coastal region inhabitants and the nation at large. Yet, although their environmental and cultural value is undeniable, the resources also have massive economic potential. Blue Economy objectives in the context of Kenya prioritise the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health.
How we are doing it
Under the ISKTS (Institutional Support to Improve Technical Skills in the Transport Sector) Result Area 2 , NTU has the goal of supporting Bandari College to become a Centre of Excellence in training, research and skills for development of the region’s Blue Economy in Kenya.
Bandari College was established in 1980 as a training and staff development institution for the Kenya Ports Authority. In 2018, the Bandari Maritime Academy succeeded to Bandari College with the aim to become a Centre of Excellence to provide teaching, training, scholarship, innovation and research in the maritime sector and hence facilitate the development of the Blue Economy.
NTU’s involvement into the Kenyan maritime sector implies the development of the following elements in the frame of the BMA:
- Providing advanced education and training
- Implementing government policy on maritime education and training
- Serving as a regional maritime center of excellence for training for ports, terminals, logistics and maritime transport skills
- Establishing other centres of excellence in maritime education and training based on international maritime standards in human resource development and
- Partnering with other institutions in furtherance of maritime education and training.
Impact
The impact of the development of the BMA is expected to increase skills and improve human capital in the field of the blue economy, as well as increase awareness about sustainability of oceans and coastal regions. Therefore, NTU aims at promoting the blue economy in all its aspects, which include Maritime Transport and Logistics; Fisheries, Aquaculture and Mariculture; Marine Tourism; Offshore Oil and Gas; Safety and Security; and Maritime Domain Awareness. It is estimated that the blue economy, if used properly, has the potential to inject up to 4.8 billion US dollars to Kenya’s economy and create over 52,000 jobs in the next 10 years. This, combined with a sustainable approach, should make a difference in the protection of maritime ecosystems.
Group photo, Ms. Nancy W. Karigithu, CBS, the Permanent Secretary State Department Shipping & Maritime (Second from right sitting) in a group photo with participants after opening the Internal stakeholders’ Workshop on the preparation of the Bandari Maritime Academy (BMA) Strategic Plan at City Blue Hotel, Mombasa, 18-21 February 2020.
One of the Participants Presenting Group work in the Plenary, Blue City Hotel Mombasa 17-21 Feb 2020