Accra, Ghana – Africa has an opportunity to become a world leader in seafarer training and could yet claim many of the new green jobs up for grabs as the global shipping industry transitions to low- and zero-carbon fuels, attendees were told at the Green Shipping Conference held today in Accra. The conference is being hosted by the Ghana Maritime Authority in partnership with the Danish Maritime Authority and the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO). Delegates, including many Directors-General of shipping, are gathered representing 17 maritime authorities from across the African region. With 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of $3.5 trillion dollars, Africa is one of the world’s biggest growth markets. “Many shipowners are already ordering vessels with new designs, powered by alternative fuels and equipped with new technologies. More orders will be made of these new vessels. But the question is: do we have the crew to operate them?” asks Helio Vicente, senior manager of trade policy and employment affairs at global shipowners group, the International Chamber of Shipping. (....)