Opinion: African ports need to close waste-reception gaps

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With the International Maritime Organisation targeting zero plastic discharge from ships at sea by 2030, Nuru Mohamed of the Kenya Maritime Authority warns that inadequate waste-reception facilities threaten Africa’s compliance and competitiveness. She urges maritime administrations across the continent to audit reception capacity, tighten record-keeping and map infrastructure gaps to effectively leverage IMO technical support. 

• Ms Mohamed is a water and environmental engineer specialising in maritime decarbonisation, marine pollution control and coastal systems management. At the Kenya Maritime Authority, she leads work on marine pollution prevention strategies. Her expertise spans environmental impact assessment, monitoring, compliance, policy advisory and data-driven strategies for sustainable, low-carbon maritime operations.

• “Ports that start the audit now have a real runway to close the gap on their own terms,” she says, arguing that early assessment will give African maritime administrations time to identify funding needs and approach IMO technical assistance with a plan rather than a request.

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