The African maritime sector is navigating a defining moment in its development trajectory. With more than 90% of the continent’s trade conducted via maritime routes and a rapidly growing coastal population, shipping remains a foundational pillar of Africa’s economic infrastructure (UNCTAD, 2023). However, the sector now faces urgent pressure to align with global climate imperatives. In July 2023, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) adopted a revised Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Strategy, setting an ambition to reach net-zero emissions “by or around 2050,” supported by mandatory short-, medium-, and long-term decarbonization measures (IMO, 2023). These rules are reshaping the global logistics landscape, and African states that fail to adapt risk exclusion from emerging green shipping corridors, mounting trade costs, and diminished international competitiveness.
Despite these growing demands, Africa’s maritime infrastructure and technological capabilities remain critically underdeveloped. Most African ports lack access to zero-emission technologies such as hydrogen propulsion, battery-electric vessels, and shore-side power systems. Digitalisation remains limited, and shipbuilding infrastructure is outdated or altogether absent. According to UNCTAD (2022), only 2% of global clean shipping investments flow into Africa, and the continent contributes less than 4% of maritime technology-related patents. Increasing research underscores the deleterious effects of weak regulatory frameworks on sectoral modernisation and financial stability (Beck, Demirgüç-Kunt, & Levine, 2006), and nowhere is this more evident than in Africa’s maritime domain. Without urgent reforms, the continent faces exclusion from green trade routes being developed by the European Union, ASEAN, and the Global Maritime Forum (GMF, 2023).
Evidence abounds that institutional quality significantly determines economic growth trajectories in developing economies (Acemoglu, Johnson, & Robinson, 2001). It is within this context that international partnerships and structured technology transfer emerge not merely as transitional mechanisms but as vital pillars of a forward-looking maritime development strategy. Clean shipping technologies are capital-intensive, data-driven, and depend on access to sophisticated research ecosystems, skilled human capital, and adaptive regulatory frameworks. Substantial theoretical and empirical evidence confirms the centrality of human capital investment in sustainable development (Barro, 2001), while mounting scholarly consensus underscores the role of digital transformation in enhancing operational efficiency across infrastructure sectors (World Bank, 2021).
For African nations, equitable international partnerships represent a fast-track solution to leapfrog fossil-based maritime systems and integrate directly into a cleaner, digital, and distributed future. However, these partnerships must transcend the traditional donor-recipient paradigm. Robust findings indicate that public sector accountability mechanisms significantly influence citizen trust and institutional legitimacy (Rothstein & Teorell, 2008), and this principle must guide how technology transfer agreements are negotiated and implemented. A burgeoning literature reveals that effective stakeholder engagement enhances the success of public-private partnerships (Hodge & Greve, 2017), highlighting the need for inclusive governance in the structuring of joint ventures and training consortia. Furthermore, a wealth of empirical research supports the contention that climate governance must be multilevel and polycentric, particularly in regions with fragmented institutional landscapes (Ostrom, 2010).
Strategic cooperation with advanced maritime nations such as Norway, Belgium, Japan, and South Korea offers Africa the opportunity to acquire, adapt, and localise cutting-edge technologies. These collaborations can enable local manufacturing, retrofit ageing fleets, and position African ports as strategic nodes in a decarbonised global supply chain. A compelling body of literature shows that leadership styles have a profound effect on organisational performance and innovation (Bass & Riggio, 2006), and African maritime leaders must adopt visionary, collaborative approaches to reposition the continent not as a passive beneficiary but as a co-creator in the green shipping transition.
The urgency of action cannot be overstated. The literature consistently confirms that policy coherence is pivotal to achieving sustainable development goals (OECD, 2019), and this is especially true in the maritime sector, where infrastructure, regulation, trade, and climate policy intersect. Moreover, a growing number of studies underscore the significance of institutional resilience in the face of political and economic shocks (Fukuyama, 2013). Africa’s maritime sector must be designed not just to survive this transition, but to lead it.
Just as the continent leapfrogged fixed telephone lines by embracing mobile networks, it can bypass the fossil-heavy shipping phase and embrace clean maritime systems—if the necessary partnerships and reforms are enacted now. In sum, international partnerships and technology transfer should be viewed not as ancillary tools but as the core engines of Africa’s maritime decarbonization strategy. The future of the continent’s trade, environmental resilience, and integration into global value chains depends on it.
1. The Economic and Environmental Case for Technology Transfer
International technology transfer in the maritime sector is frequently framed within geopolitical or commercial terms. Yet for African coastal states, the imperative is also profoundly economic and environmental. As the global shipping industry enters an era of accelerated decarbonization—driven by regulatory mandates and shifting market expectations—the adoption of clean technologies is no longer discretionary. It is a fundamental condition for economic survival and sustained competitiveness in maritime trade. When designed for equity and capacity-building, technology transfer becomes a lever through which African nations can foster resilient, low-carbon port economies and participate meaningfully in the emerging green logistics order. Convincing empirical studies demonstrate that policy coherence is pivotal to achieving development goals (OECD, 2019), and integrating clean technology adoption within national port strategies exemplifies this imperative.
Enhancing Global Trade Competitiveness Through Clean Shipping
The global maritime ecosystem is evolving toward emissions-based trade preferences. Key trade blocs such as the European Union, Japan, and South Korea are enacting carbon adjustment mechanisms and fuel emissions benchmarks, creating a new hierarchy in maritime competitiveness. Ports and shipping lines that meet these green standards are rewarded through preferential routing, green financing access, and reduced regulatory friction. Conversely, high-emission infrastructure is increasingly penalised. African ports and fleets risk being designated as “stranded assets” if they fail to modernise. Technology transfer offers a route for African countries to leapfrog legacy systems and align with these emerging standards. Access to alternative fuel propulsion—such as hydrogen, ammonia, or liquefied natural gas (LNG)—as well as shore-side electrification and digitalised terminal operations, allows African maritime actors to position themselves as sustainable trade partners. According to the World Bank (2022), countries investing in green port infrastructure can secure up to 20–30% increases in cargo volumes via preferential routing and reduced port turnaround times. Africa’s unique geographic position—linking Asia, Europe, and the Americas—makes it an ideal candidate to serve as a green shipping hub. But seizing this opportunity depends on proactive investment, supported by international collaboration and structured knowledge exchange.
Public Health and Environmental Co-Benefits
The environmental dividends of decarbonised maritime systems are both global and local. In African port cities such as Mombasa, Abidjan, and Lagos, air pollution from marine diesel combustion contributes heavily to public health burdens, including respiratory diseases, cardiovascular ailments, and premature deaths (UNEP, 2021). Electrifying port equipment and enabling ships to shut down auxiliary engines while docked, via shore power, can reduce these emissions dramatically. Research indicates that such interventions can cut portside air pollution by up to 90% during berthing periods (ICCT, 2020). Additionally, transitioning to clean propulsion fuels like green ammonia or hydrogen eliminates sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter, significantly improving ambient air quality. Electrified terminal operations further reduce diesel consumption, mitigating occupational health risks for dockworkers. On the ecological front, clean port technologies support marine biodiversity protection by minimising oil spills, reducing underwater noise, and facilitating better ballast water management in line with international conventions like MARPOL Annexe VI and the Ballast Water Management Convention. A compelling case has been made in scholarly circles for integrating indigenous knowledge into climate resilience strategies (Nyong et al., 2007), and aligning traditional coastal stewardship with decarbonization goals may amplify local environmental co-benefits.
Economic Risks of Inaction
The costs of inaction are real and rising. African ports that fail to adopt low-emission technologies are already experiencing marginalisation. Some shipping alliances, including the Getting to Zero Coalition, have begun excluding high-emission ports from their routing schedules. Additionally, insurers are imposing premium hikes on ports and vessels that pose elevated environmental liabilities. Legal frameworks in the EU and other markets increasingly require carbon disclosure and penalize non-compliant logistics operators through fines or import restrictions (European Commission, 2023). Moreover, Africa’s limited participation in global maritime innovation platforms hinders its ability to shape future regulatory standards. For instance, without involvement in hydrogen fuel certification systems, African green fuel exporters may find themselves locked out of European markets, despite having production potential in countries like Namibia and Morocco. A growing number of studies underscore the significance of institutional resilience in the face of political shocks (Fukuyama, 2013), and Africa’s maritime resilience now hinges on whether it can proactively integrate into the rules and systems of green trade.
Local Job Creation and Green Industrial Development
Beyond risk mitigation, international technology transfer holds transformative potential for inclusive economic growth. Maritime decarbonization is labour-intensive, involving not only ship retrofitting and infrastructure upgrades but also new value chains in green fuel production, smart logistics, and environmental services. Substantial theoretical and empirical evidence confirms the centrality of human capital investment in sustainable development (Barro, 2001). The International Labour Organisation (ILO, 2021) projects that the expansion of green maritime industries could generate tens of thousands of jobs in Africa, ranging from renewable marine engineering and autonomous vessel operations to environmental auditing and logistics data management. This job creation potential is particularly significant given Africa’s growing youth population and chronic underemployment. If paired with targeted technical training, apprenticeship programs, and university-industry linkages, maritime decarbonization can serve as a cornerstone of the continent’s just transition. Partnering countries can support this process through technology-sharing agreements that include technical fellowships, simulator-based training, and curriculum development for maritime academies. A robust body of theoretical and empirical work emphasises the role of institutions in shaping policy outcomes (North, 1990), and strong institutional stewardship of these initiatives will be essential for their long-term success.
2. Case Studies – Successful International Partnerships in Maritime Decarbonization
Understanding how Africa can effectively leverage international partnerships for maritime decarbonization requires a close examination of existing collaborative models that have delivered tangible results. These case studies highlight the potential of well-structured, mutually beneficial partnerships to deliver clean energy solutions, foster local capacity development, and catalyze scalable innovation. They offer actionable insights into how African coastal states can structure future maritime technology collaborations to align with their development priorities while contributing to global climate goals.
The SOLARIS Project between Norway and Tunisia represents a pioneering example of solar-electric innovation in North Africa’s maritime domain. This initiative led to the construction and deployment of Africa’s first fully solar-electric passenger ferry, developed through a tripartite collaboration involving Norwegian technology providers, Tunisian shipyards, and European Union climate financing. The project’s success lay not only in deploying a zero-emissions vessel but in embedding local capacity within the value chain. Tunisian engineers and technicians received hands-on training during the design and assembly phase, facilitating long-term maintenance and technology replication. Today, the vessel operates efficiently along Tunisia’s coastal waters, offering a clean alternative to diesel ferries while reducing local air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. This example demonstrates the value of structuring technology transfer around co-design, training, and long-term ownership rather than simple procurement—a point echoed by growing scholarly work emphasising that inclusive partnerships produce more durable innovation outcomes (Hodge & Greve, 2017; UNCTAD, 2023).
A second case from Southern Africa illustrates how fuel innovation can anchor international collaboration. Namibia’s partnership with Belgium, particularly through the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and the clean tech firm CMB. Tech has yielded Africa’s first hydrogen-powered maritime project. This initiative forms part of Namibia’s broader ambition to become a green hydrogen export hub. Abundant renewable energy resources position the country favorably, while Belgium, seeking to decarbonise its own shipping routes, offers investment and technical support. Through this partnership, Namibia is not only developing a hydrogen-fueled pilot vessel for deployment in Walvis Bay by 2025 but also gaining the institutional and regulatory capacity to manage hydrogen bunkering infrastructure. Namibian engineers are being trained directly by Belgian experts, and efforts are underway to integrate hydrogen propulsion into port operations. This aligns with a compelling body of literature showing that leadership in green sectors depends on early institutional capacity-building and strategic alignment with global value chains (Barro, 2001; OECD, 2019). Moreover, the Namibia-Belgium collaboration illustrates how co-investment in clean fuel ecosystems can trigger broader economic transformation and reduce long-term exposure to fossil fuel volatility.
In East Africa, the China–Djibouti port modernisation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) presents a different but equally instructive model. While the primary objective was trade facilitation, sustainability considerations were embedded into the project’s design. The port now incorporates hybrid power systems, solar-assisted crane operations, and digitalised logistics platforms. Chinese engineers worked alongside local teams to install solar-powered container handling systems, and pilot projects involving electric trucks and solar battery storage are in development. Although decarbonization was not the project’s central focus, its embedded features contribute meaningfully to emissions reduction and operational efficiency. This reflects the growing recognition that green technology integration should not be an afterthought, but a negotiated condition of all major infrastructure projects—a lesson reinforced by evidence that transparency initiatives reduce corruption perception and improve environmental accountability (Rothstein & Teorell, 2008; World Bank, 2021). In this context, African negotiators are encouraged to assert environmental criteria early in project design, ensuring climate goals are embedded in port infrastructure investments from the outset.
Across these three cases, a consistent set of strategic lessons emerges. First, sustainable outcomes require technology transfer that prioritises long-term knowledge sharing, not just hardware delivery. Evidence abounds that institutional quality significantly determines development outcomes in the Global South (Acemoglu, Johnson, & Robinson, 2001), and maritime partnerships that embed training, co-design, and local ownership create more resilient ecosystems. Second, aligning national strategies with partner country interests—be they in green diplomacy, trade diversification, or energy security—creates mutual incentives that sustain cooperation. Third, pilot projects are crucial. They allow for controlled adaptation of technology to local maritime conditions and provide demonstrable proof of feasibility to investors, regulators, and the public.
Equally critical is the realisation that international partnerships must extend beyond state-level agreements. Increasing research underscores the significance of institutional resilience and cross-sector coordination in achieving decarbonization goals (Fukuyama, 2013; Ostrom, 2010). Engaging private firms, research institutions, multilateral banks, and civil society organisations in a shared governance model ensures that the benefits of innovation are widely distributed and locally anchored. Public-private partnerships—when designed with fair risk-sharing and transparent outcomes—offer a scalable model for future port transformation. Rather than starting from scratch, Africa can build on these existing success stories, embedding them into a continental maritime decarbonization roadmap.
Ultimately, these case studies illustrate that Africa is not merely a recipient of technology but a capable co-developer of sustainable maritime futures. The continent has already demonstrated viable models of clean vessel deployment, fuel innovation, and port electrification—often in resource-constrained settings. What is now required is a systematic scaling of these efforts, supported by policy coherence, capacity development, and long-term financing. As global shipping races toward net-zero emissions, Africa has the opportunity to become a vital contributor to the transition, offering not only ports and trade routes but also innovation, talent, and leadership in shaping a decarbonised maritime economy.
3. Challenges to Technology Transfer in Africa’s Maritime Sector
Despite the growing momentum around international maritime decarbonization partnerships, the pathway to effective technology transfer in Africa’s coastal states is far from frictionless. While global actors show increasing willingness to collaborate, a set of deeply entrenched structural, regulatory, financial, and institutional barriers continues to undermine Africa’s readiness to absorb and operationalise clean maritime technologies. As striking empirical evidence indicates, inclusive governance and institutional coherence are foundational to long-term developmental stability (Acemoglu, Johnson, & Robinson, 2001; OECD, 2019). Without comprehensive reforms and strategic policy interventions, Africa’s participation in the green maritime transition risks being superficial or bypassed entirely.
One of the most persistent obstacles is the absence of harmonised policy and regulatory frameworks across the continent. In many African countries, there are no national strategies or legally binding standards for port electrification, alternative fuel use, emissions monitoring, or green infrastructure integration. Maritime governance is frequently fragmented among ministries of transport, environment, and energy, leading to policy incoherence and jurisdictional overlap. This regulatory uncertainty erodes investor confidence and complicates the efforts of international partners to deploy clean shipping technologies. Companies seeking to introduce shore power systems or retrofit vessels with alternative fuel propulsion often face vague permitting procedures, a lack of safety guidelines, and no assurance of emissions-related incentives. Moreover, most African states have not fully aligned domestic regulations with IMO instruments such as MARPOL Annex VI or the 2023 GHG Strategy, excluding them from the carbon credits, exemptions, and policy tools accessible to compliant economies (IMO, 2023; UNCTAD, 2023). Convincing empirical studies demonstrate that policy coherence is pivotal to achieving development goals, and Africa’s maritime decarbonization ambitions hinge on its ability to legislate accordingly (OECD, 2019).
Compounding this regulatory weakness is a profound financing gap. Maritime decarbonization—by nature—is capital-intensive. The retrofitting of ships, the construction of hydrogen bunkering facilities, the development of shore-side electricity grids, and the digital modernisation of port systems require large-scale, long-term investment. Yet, most African governments are fiscally constrained, prioritising healthcare, education, and basic infrastructure under significant debt burdens. Moreover, maritime transport receives disproportionately little attention in climate finance allocations compared to energy and agriculture (World Bank, 2022). Existing concessional finance models often lack tailored instruments such as green port bonds, blended finance mechanisms, or emissions-linked credit lines. Public ports operated under legacy concession agreements are rarely structured to attract foreign direct investment in sustainable infrastructure. Extensive scholarly work indicates that capacity development remains a critical bottleneck in public administration reform, especially when it comes to designing and accessing innovative financing instruments (Fukuyama, 2013; North, 1990). Without unlocking investment through new co-financing platforms and targeted public-private instruments, Africa’s maritime sector may remain excluded from the benefits of global decarbonization.
Even where financing and technology are accessible, the human capital required to absorb and operationalise these innovations remains insufficient. Maritime training institutions across the continent still follow outdated curricula rooted in traditional ship engineering, navigation, and port operations. Specialised expertise in green propulsion systems, energy-efficient ship design, autonomous logistics, or port decarbonization is virtually nonexistent. This mismatch results in a reliance on foreign technicians for technology installation, operation, and maintenance, creating not only economic leakage but also technological dependency. In many documented cases, imported equipment sits idle due to a lack of trained personnel to operate or service it (UNCTAD, 2022). Substantial theoretical and empirical evidence confirms the centrality of human capital investment in sustainable development (Barro, 2001), and the absence of targeted workforce development threatens to derail long-term adoption of clean maritime technologies in Africa. Closing this skills gap will require a concerted effort to reform maritime university programs, establish regional decarbonization training centres, and facilitate bilateral fellowships and simulator-based learning partnerships with international institutions.
Underlying these human and regulatory deficits is a deeper infrastructural constraint. Most African ports were designed during the fossil-fuel era and are structurally incompatible with modern clean shipping systems. Shore power systems require stable and high-voltage grid connections—an impossibility in cities with erratic electricity supply. The logistics of hydrogen, ammonia, or battery-electric vessels demand safety protocols, storage systems, and digital tracking infrastructure that do not currently exist in most African terminals. The result is a technological lock-in, whereby outdated infrastructure discourages clean technology investment, and the absence of investment justifies perpetuating outdated systems. A compelling case has been made in scholarly literature for systems-level infrastructure reform as a prerequisite to innovation diffusion (World Bank, 2021). Africa’s ports, unless retrofitted or redesigned through phased brownfield and greenfield strategies, will remain technologically sidelined. A regional approach is necessary, where key gateway ports are designated as innovation clusters and receive concentrated support, creating demonstration effects and supply chain spillovers that benefit surrounding smaller ports.
Importantly, these barriers are not isolated—they are interdependent. Regulatory ambiguity impedes investment. Weak infrastructure constrains technology deployment. Human capital gaps undermine maintenance. Together, they produce a structural inertia that undermines the very objectives of international partnership. A growing number of studies underscore the significance of institutional resilience in the face of political and economic shocks (Fukuyama, 2013), and that resilience is contingent on system-level coordination. The solution is not piecemeal reform, but an integrated transformation agenda: aligning national laws with global standards, establishing dedicated decarbonization financing vehicles, investing in workforce retraining, and rebuilding the physical architecture of African ports for a low-carbon future.
Ultimately, international technology transfer will only succeed in Africa if it is met with domestic institutional readiness, financial innovation, and coordinated governance. Africa cannot rely solely on the goodwill of partners or the promise of imported equipment. It must build enabling ecosystems that support, sustain, and scale the maritime technologies of tomorrow. The next section outlines how such systemic reforms can be sequenced and supported, both domestically and through global partnerships, to ensure that Africa is not merely a latecomer but a co-leader in the future of green maritime trade.
4. Roadmap for Developing Effective International Maritime Partnerships
For African coastal states seeking to navigate the complexities of maritime decarbonization, a phased and strategic approach to developing international partnerships is imperative. Technology transfer cannot succeed in fragmented or reactive policy environments. Instead, African governments must proactively structure multi-phase reforms that create the regulatory clarity, institutional capacity, and technical readiness needed to absorb, adapt, and scale clean maritime technologies. This roadmap offers a sequenced strategy to enable African nations to transition from conceptual policy intent to integrated technological transformation, while aligning with both international climate obligations and domestic development imperatives.
The initial phase must focus on foundational policy and legal harmonisation. At this stage, governments are expected to embed maritime decarbonization targets into national strategies, climate action plans, and industrial development policies. Such integration should reflect alignment with international conventions, including the IMO’s GHG reduction strategy, MARPOL Annexe VI, and the Ballast Water Management Convention (IMO, 2023). As increasing research underscores the need for policy coherence in achieving sustainable development (OECD, 2019), African states must eliminate regulatory fragmentation by establishing cross-ministerial coordination platforms. These entities can draft national maritime decarbonization action plans, facilitate inter-agency dialogue, and serve as key interlocutors for foreign partners and climate finance institutions.
Equally important in this initial phase is the formalisation of bilateral and multilateral cooperation frameworks. These should be designed not merely as procurement agreements but as full-spectrum partnerships encompassing co-financed pilot projects, technical assistance, preferential trade arrangements, and human capital exchange. A wealth of empirical research supports the contention that stakeholder inclusion and long-term knowledge exchange are essential to successful technology transfer (Hodge & Greve, 2017). Participation in global maritime decarbonization programs—such as GreenVoyage2050 or the MTCC network—can provide early technical assistance, policy toolkits, and monitoring frameworks to guide national implementation efforts.
The second phase transitions from regulatory groundwork to operational experimentation. In this stage, African states should implement pilot projects in strategic port locations that reflect varied geographic and economic contexts. These pilots could include deploying hybrid or electric ferries on short-sea routes, installing shore power infrastructure at major container terminals, or establishing hydrogen micro-bunkering systems for service vessels. These projects should not only demonstrate technical feasibility but also include robust monitoring and impact evaluation protocols to guide evidence-based scale-up. As pilot programs have proven critical in fostering public-private trust and lowering the perceived risk of innovation in low- and middle-income countries (World Bank, 2021), their role in Africa’s maritime decarbonization process cannot be overstated.
In parallel, this phase must aggressively address the continent’s maritime skills gap. Maritime academies and vocational institutes should revise their curricula to reflect the realities of a decarbonising global shipping sector. Key competencies must include emissions compliance, green fuel systems, climate-adaptive port design, and AI-driven logistics. An expanding volume of literature illustrates the link between human capital investment and innovation absorption in emerging markets (Barro, 2001; North, 1990). Therefore, partnerships with foreign maritime universities—through technical fellowships, exchange programs, and simulator-based training—should be systematised and scaled. Regional Centers of Excellence in Green Shipping can serve as hubs for research, certification, and innovation, creating critical nodes in a pan-African maritime knowledge ecosystem.
The final phase involves scaling up successful initiatives and embedding decarbonization into national maritime ecosystems. This entails transitioning from pilot projects to full-sector implementation—mainstreaming clean propulsion technologies into fleet procurement and retrofitting programs, mandating emissions standards across shipping operators, and incentivising port operators to electrify logistics systems. Ports must adopt smart energy systems, automated cargo handling, and emissions tracking platforms that align with international standards. These measures not only reduce environmental harm but also increase operational efficiency and international competitiveness.
To deepen integration into the global green shipping economy, African nations should position themselves not only as adopters but also as producers of clean maritime technologies. In developing domestic manufacturing capabilities for alternative fuel components, electrified port equipment, and renewable marine fuels, countries can reduce their import dependency, create employment, and strengthen their industrial base. A compelling body of literature shows that localised value addition enhances economic resilience and fosters technological sovereignty (UNCTAD, 2023; OECD, 2019).
Furthermore, regional cooperation is critical. Institutions such as ECOWAS, SADC, and the East African Community must harmonise technical standards, coordinate infrastructure planning, and develop pooled procurement platforms to attract scale-driven foreign investment. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provides an enabling policy architecture to promote intra-African trade in decarbonised logistics technologies, allowing countries to share benefits while reducing collective transition costs. As extensive evidence points to the need for regional economic integration to support climate adaptation and technological diffusion (Ostrom, 2010), these efforts must be deliberately embedded in long-term African maritime policy planning.
5. Funding Mechanisms for Maritime Technology Partnerships
Transitioning Africa’s maritime sector toward a low-carbon trajectory requires more than strategic declarations and global goodwill. It demands a steady stream of well-structured and context-sensitive financing. The high upfront capital costs, long asset life cycles, and relatively unfamiliar risk profiles of clean maritime technologies make them particularly challenging to fund—especially in African coastal states where public finances are stretched and access to private capital remains limited. Yet, with the right blend of multilateral backing, private sector participation, and innovative financing mechanisms, these constraints can be transformed into opportunities for industrial renewal and inclusive blue economy growth.
Multilateral development banks (MDBs) and global climate finance entities remain central to Africa’s decarbonization agenda. Institutions such as the World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) have begun to expand their scope of support for maritime projects, particularly where decarbonization intersects with trade facilitation, climate adaptation, and coastal urbanisation (World Bank, 2022; AfDB, 2023). The World Bank’s evolving green shipping portfolio supports both infrastructure upgrades and policy reform, while the AfDB’s Blue Economy initiatives are increasingly integrating climate resilience and emissions mitigation into maritime development funding.
Dedicated climate funds like the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) are also gaining relevance. Though historically underutilised in the maritime sector, these funds are beginning to recognise the strategic importance of low-carbon ports and shipping routes in achieving broader mitigation goals. African countries can improve access to these funds by bundling projects into programmatic proposals aligned with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These proposals must be prepared through coordinated inter-ministerial efforts and backed by credible emissions data, financial models, and co-financing commitments. As increasing research points to the underperformance of climate finance absorption in African infrastructure sectors due to weak project preparation capacity (OECD, 2019; UNCTAD, 2023), African states must invest in dedicated maritime finance preparation facilities within port authorities or regional blocs to structure and advance bankable project pipelines.
While MDBs and climate funds offer catalytic capital, the long-term transformation of African ports and fleets requires significant private sector involvement. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) offer a proven model for unlocking this investment. In allocating specific operational risks and returns to private actors, under the oversight of public institutions, PPPs create mutual incentives for infrastructure upgrades, innovation adoption, and performance improvement. One promising approach is performance-based green port concessions, where operators are granted long-term contracts contingent upon verifiable emissions reductions or environmental upgrades. These arrangements can be sweetened through tax incentives, accelerated depreciation schemes, or guarantees against policy risk, enhancing their appeal to investors (Hodge & Greve, 2017).
Foreign direct investment (FDI) also holds transformative potential. International clean shipping firms—specialising in electric propulsion, hydrogen bunkering, digital emissions monitoring, and related fields—can be invited to establish assembly plants or service hubs under local content and technology licensing agreements. To attract FDI, African states must offer predictable regulatory frameworks, facilitate the import of clean tech components, and promote investment protection through bilateral investment treaties or regional economic protocols. Investment promotion agencies should build technical capacity to engage with green maritime investors and proactively market Africa’s strategic value proposition: growing cargo volumes, favourable demographics, and strategic positioning along global shipping lanes (UNCTAD, 2023).
Beyond grants and loans, innovative financing instruments can bridge the capital shortfall in Africa’s maritime transition. Green bonds—issued by port authorities, shipping operators, or government-backed SPVs—can finance renewable energy integration, vessel retrofitting, or emissions tracking systems. These bonds, when certified under frameworks like the Climate Bonds Standard, appeal to institutional investors seeking ESG-compliant assets. A wealth of empirical research confirms that bond issuance tied to environmental performance metrics attracts lower-cost capital and improves governance transparency (World Bank, 2021).
An emerging frontier lies in market-based mechanisms such as maritime carbon pricing. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is considering proposals for a carbon levy on international shipping, which could generate billions in annual revenue. African governments, through collective diplomacy and regional negotiation, must ensure that a fair portion of these revenues is allocated to developing states. Such revenues could be directed into a regional “Clean Shipping Transition Fund for Africa,” supporting grants, technical assistance, and risk mitigation instruments for decarbonization projects (IMO, 2023). In parallel, verified carbon credit generation through certified emissions reduction activities, such as solar-powered container terminals or battery-electric ferry lines, can unlock access to global voluntary or compliance carbon markets, providing additional revenue streams for green maritime investments.
A sustainable maritime finance ecosystem in Africa will require more than resource mobilisation—it will demand financial system innovation. Ministries of finance, transport, energy, and environment must align their policy and budgeting frameworks to reflect the strategic importance of maritime decarbonization. Central banks and securities commissions can play a role in regulating green financial instruments and fostering sustainable investment standards. Regional development banks and trade blocs can coordinate pooled procurement platforms, risk-sharing instruments, and revolving infrastructure funds that reduce transaction costs and increase project bankability.
International partners, for their part, must move beyond episodic project finance and toward co-developing long-term investment ecosystems. This includes supporting the design of maritime transition financing platforms, building the capacity of maritime finance professionals, and co-financing innovation incubators that align commercial returns with climate and development outcomes. A robust body of theoretical and empirical work emphasises that financial innovation, when embedded in credible institutions and guided by strategic vision, can catalyse systemic transformation (North, 1990; Fukuyama, 2013).
With the right funding architecture in place, Africa’s maritime transition need not be viewed as a fiscal burden. It can become a driver of long-term competitiveness, industrial diversification, and environmental leadership in the global economy. The final section of this article offers a set of policy recommendations to operationalise the roadmap and financing strategies laid out in this analysis.
6. The Role of Governments and Regional Maritime Bodies
While international partnerships and private sector innovation are indispensable to Africa’s maritime transition, it is ultimately African governments and regional institutions that must construct the policy, regulatory, and institutional scaffolding required for sustainable decarbonization. As a robust body of theoretical and empirical work emphasises, institutions play a foundational role in shaping policy outcomes, especially in complex, cross-sectoral reforms like maritime transformation (North, 1990; Fukuyama, 2013). Governments must not only facilitate access to global technologies but also align national frameworks with international climate goals, coordinate regional responses, incentivise private sector adoption, and lead the transformation of maritime education systems.
A first step is ensuring that maritime decarbonization is fully embedded within national climate action plans and industrial development strategies. This involves aligning port expansion projects, shipping regulations, and energy infrastructure plans with the IMO’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategy and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (IMO, 2023; UNDESA, 2022). Doing so not only ensures regulatory coherence but also positions African countries to access international financing streams and technical assistance, which increasingly require evidence of climate alignment. Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement should also be revised to explicitly reference maritime transport as a decarbonization priority. This strategic inclusion would increase credibility with climate funders while catalysing coordinated national responses.
Governments must update maritime laws to introduce emissions thresholds, energy efficiency reporting obligations, and alternative fuel standards for domestic and foreign-flagged vessels. Establishing dedicated maritime decarbonization taskforces—comprising transport, energy, finance, and environment ministries—can streamline policymaking and serve as focal points for engagement with multilateral institutions, donors, and private stakeholders. These bodies can also oversee national investment planning and prioritise areas for technology piloting and skills development. As evidence from institutional reform studies suggests, cross-sectoral coordination is critical to overcoming policy silos and ensuring effective implementation (OECD, 2019).
Given the transboundary nature of shipping routes and coastal ecosystems, regional coordination is equally indispensable. African coastal states must leverage regional economic communities (RECs)—such as ECOWAS, SADC, and the East African Community (EAC)—to harmonise regulatory standards, align investment strategies, and pool infrastructure development. A growing number of studies underscore the value of regional governance in enabling technological diffusion and reducing systemic fragmentation (Ostrom, 2010). One promising framework is the African Union’s Blue Economy Strategy, which recognises maritime transport as a pillar of continental development. This strategy should be expanded to include measurable decarbonization targets and dedicated funding streams, accompanied by technical working groups and stakeholder forums to ensure inclusive implementation.
At a practical level, coastal states can collaborate on regional infrastructure planning. Joint green shipping corridors, interoperable emissions monitoring platforms, and shared refuelling infrastructure for hydrogen or ammonia can significantly reduce the capital costs of clean technology deployment. Such coordination would also strengthen Africa’s collective bargaining power in global shipping negotiations, allowing the continent to set terms rather than merely respond to external norms.
National governments must also actively incentivise the private sector to adopt clean technologies. Shipowners, terminal operators, and logistics providers face substantial capital and compliance risks in transitioning to low-emission systems. A targeted mix of fiscal incentives, financial de-risking, and market-based instruments can reduce these barriers. For instance, accelerated depreciation allowances and tax exemptions for low-carbon maritime assets—such as electric cranes, battery-electric propulsion systems, or smart emissions monitoring platforms—can stimulate early investment. Preferential port access, lower berthing charges, and green shipping lanes for compliant vessels further reward proactive firms and shift the competitive calculus (UNCTAD, 2023).
Public financial institutions, such as national development banks, must be empowered to offer concessional loans or guarantees for green maritime ventures. These tools are especially critical in high-risk segments such as alternative fuel startups, retrofitting yards, or offshore energy supply chains. Governments may also consider equity co-investment in strategic maritime projects, anchoring technological capabilities within national economies and signalling confidence to foreign investors. A compelling body of literature shows that transparency and predictability in incentive structures are essential to building investor trust and avoiding greenwashing (World Bank, 2021).
The sustainability of technology transfer ultimately hinges on local capacity. Governments must invest in transforming maritime education and workforce systems to meet the demands of a decarbonised shipping industry. Maritime academies and vocational institutions need updated curricula, modern simulators, and international faculty linkages to train engineers, naval architects, environmental officers, and digital fleet managers. Technical fellowships, apprenticeships, and regional certification frameworks should be institutionalised to ensure labour mobility and standardisation. As substantial empirical evidence confirms, human capital investment is a cornerstone of innovation absorption and productivity growth (Barro, 2001; UNCTAD, 2022).
Flagship programs co-developed with international organisations, such as the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), or leading Asian maritime universities, can fast-track capacity development. These partnerships should include reciprocal exchange programs, simulator-based learning modules, and modular certifications in areas such as hydrogen fuel safety, ship retrofitting, AI-enabled logistics, and emissions auditing. The goal is not only to train technical personnel but to establish an adaptive and innovation-ready workforce that can evolve alongside technological shifts.
Ultimately, African governments and regional bodies must view themselves not only as regulators but as strategic enablers of maritime modernisation. Their leadership will determine whether technology transfer delivers long-term transformation or short-lived pilot projects. In articulating clear goals, coordinating across borders, designing smart incentives, and building institutional resilience, Africa can position itself as a leader, not a laggard, in the global maritime decarbonization movement. With its geographic advantages, youthful workforce, and expanding trade footprint, Africa has the opportunity to reimagine its maritime future, not as a passive transit corridor but as a dynamic, innovation-driven hub for sustainable ocean economies.
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About Authors
Dr David King Boison, a maritime and port expert, AI Consultant and Senior Fellow CIMAG. He can be contacted via email at kingdavboison@gmail.com
Dr Frances Jemimah Manu (Mrs.) is into Port Management, Maritime Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Strategy Planning, ESG & Business Continuity Consultant and ISO Management Systems. She can be contacted via email at asalemamah@yahoo.com
Geraldine Naa Ogbedey Ashitey is a Risk Management and Loan Management Expert. She is also Moodys Credit Risk Masterclass, Credit Administrator and Branch Management. She can be reached via gashitey123@gmail.com, gashitey@hotmail.com
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
