Kofi Ampeah Woode
The Ghana Navy (GN) has held a Press Engagement session, to herald the commencement of the 4th edition of the biennial International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (IMDEC), offering naval forces’ perspectives and the significance of the event, to the Media.
The Pre-Conference Media Brief, took place at the Owusu-Ansah Hall, Naval Headquarters (NHQ), Burma Camp, Accra, on Thursday 3 July 2025, with the Chief Staff Officer – Commodore (Cdre) Ben Baba Abdul, offering various outlooks of IMDEC ’25, assisted by the Acting Director General, Department of Public Relations, Ghana Armed Forces – Naval Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin.
The 2-day IMDEC 25 is scheduled for Tuesday 8 to Wednesday 9 July 2025, at the Burma Hall, Burma Camp, Accra, under the theme: “Securing Africa’s Maritime Future: Collaboration, Technology and Sustainability in a Changing Geopolitical Landscape”.
Cdre Abdul, advancing the necessity for IMDEC, stated that the maritime sector still deals with complex challenges, with growing pressure from the disruptive effects of digitalization and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to maritime security and safety management systems, thus requiring initiatives such as IMDEC, to have industry players exchange ideas, and to share practical solutions.
The Naval 1-Star General opines that navies and coastguards are being transformed through innovative technologies, to cope with contemporary and complex maritime threats and crimes, whiles maritime defence solution providers are shifting attention to the protection of the digitalization of the sector with new technologies.
Acknowledging that these same technologies also avail new opportunities to non-state actors to engage in complex crimes, Cdre Abdul believes that it also provides opportunities for navies and coastguards to leverage on modernity, for improved efficiency in maritime protection.
He says that Smart Technologies are prone to cybersecurity crimes, as such virtual threats have become a transnational security challenge that the maritime sector must confront, whiles the industry transforms from supply chains using block-chain to smart ports, and automated cargo management systems.
He thus called for cooperation between governments, the commercial sector, international organizations and navies, as an undoubted essential, to mitigate some of the trans-boundary maritime challenges.
GN has collaborated with international partners, and contributed to the globe’s maritime industry, by offering boundless opportunity for cooperation, advancement and innovation, in one of the most strategic domains in the world – the Gulf of Guinea (GoG), Cdre Abdul asserted.
GN, in collaboration with Great Minds Events, has organized IMDEC from 2019, 2021, 2023, offering innovative policy frameworks, combined with realistic and doable strategies through initiatives, some which have resulted in land international exercises, and yielded training exercises between the Cameroonian Navy and GN, amongst others.
IMDEC ‘25 aims at fostering dialogue and collaboration among key stakeholders, to sustain a safe and secure maritime domain, focusing on consolidating the gains made in the GoG, bringing together regional and international Chiefs of Naval Staff, to address critical issues surrounding maritime security.
The international exhibition will showcase cutting-edge technologies in maritime security, and foster strong cooperation, to overcome daunting challenges facing Africa’s Blue Economy.
It will be an example of global-standard exhibition that showcases the world’s leading defence suppliers to Accra, demonstrating communication technologies, radars, satellite imagery solutions and vessels, among other key solutions vital for further strengthening maritime defence capabilities of African navies.
IMDEC 25 will feature panel discussions and breakout sessions, hosting more than 500 persons from over 70 countries, with more than 15 Navy Chiefs, and over 30 speakers will brainstorm on new ideas, and discuss the roadmap for the future, in sustaining a safe and secure maritime domain.
The maritime domain is strategically important because it forms a vital part of the global economy, as it enables seamless operation for supply chain management worldwide, and facilitates interaction between nation-states, tying continents, facilitating trade, providing a cheaper medium for the movement of strategic resources and goods across oceans.
The oceans have been the cornerstone of most coastal and littoral states, impacting everyday lives, from cargo ships to tankers, container ships to luxury cruise liners, which deliver the basis of social, economic, and human security needs.
It therefore becomes critical priority for all Navies to create the enabling environment, to protect essential services and maintain sustainability of the maritime industry.
Stay tuned for interviews and views from key participants of IMDEC 25.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
