Dr Ntahondi Nyandwi

The media has been called upon to create awareness on the new prospects that the Indian Ocean offers East Africans as far as regional trade is concerned.
 
The call was made by Dr N. Nyandwi, a senior lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam’s Institute of Marine Sciences while addressing participants during the 11th IREN Eastern Africa Media Forum dubbed; “Indian Ocean Rim; Gateway to Eastern Africa’s Prosperity.” The forum was held at Giraffe View hotel in Dar-Es- Salaam between 1st and 4th May 2013.
 
He underscored the need to have a well-trained media team that will be in a position to engage in a serious sensitization forum aimed at enlightening and empowering the people of Eastern Africa to make maximum use of the Indian Ocean hence transforming their socio-economic well-being.
 
“East Africans need to hear what is positive. This is always difficult to build hence the need to have a mature team of well-trained media that will undertake serious sensitization of Eastern Africans on the need to develop an interest in the Indian Ocean Rim and engage in active regional trade to transform their socio-economic well-being,” said Nyandwi.
 
The senior lecturer added that the media needs to play a key role in awareness creation, understand emerging opportunities, develop interest in the Indian Ocean rim countries, show the importance of media presence during regional fora and sensitive the respective governments of the Indian Ocean Rim member countries.
 
The marine science lecturer said the Association which comprises Working Group on Trade and Investment (WGTI), Indian Ocean Rim Business Forum (IORBF) and Indian Ocean Rim Academic Group (IORAG] holds a Council of Ministers meeting once every two years where the working groups ensure different points of view and interests are fully reflected in IOR-ARC’s work program prior to the Council of Ministers (COM) meeting.
 
He said that the region has undertaken economic reforms and adopted the liberalization process. Consequently, intra-regional trade accounts for one-fourth of its total trade.

Nyandwi at the same time said that in 1994, the amount of intra-regional trade in the whole of the Indian Ocean Rim was US$233 billion with the IOR-ARC producing goods and services worth US$1 trillion (around 8 per cent the world production) hence creating a large market in the world economy.
 
He said the IOR-ARC has opened up, in a more formal way, cooperative trading opportunities with six priority areas of cooperation namely:

– Maritime Safety and Security
– Trade and Investment Facilitation
– Fisheries Management
– Disaster Risk Management
– Academic and Science & Technology Cooperation and
– Tourism and Cultural Exchanges.
 
He stressed that the objectives of the Indian Ocean Rim[IOR/ARC] is to promote sustainable growth and balanced development of the region and Member States, focusing on those areas of economic cooperation providing maximum opportunities for development, shared interest and mutual benefits.
 
Other objectives include the promotion of liberalisation, removal of impediments and lowering barriers towards a freer and enhanced flow of goods, services, investment, and technology within the Indian Ocean rim.
 
He  said the IOR-ARC undertake projects for economic co-operation relating to trade facilitation and liberalization, promotion of foreign investment, scientific and technological exchanges, tourism, movement of natural persons and service providers on a non-discriminatory basis; and the development of infrastructure and human resources, poverty alleviation, promotion of maritime transport and related matters, cooperation in the fields of fisheries trade, research and management, aquaculture, education and training, energy, IT, health, protection of the environment, agriculture, disaster management
     
He added that there is tremendous potential for the Fisheries and Maritime related industries, promotion and transfer of Science & Technology in the region - all of which are considered effective tools for the uplifting of our Member States.
 
“The establishment of the Fisheries Support Unit in Sultanate of Oman has paved the way for the operationalization of the Unit geared towards improved utilization and management of Fisheries,” he said.
 
‘The Regional Centre for the Transfer of Science & Technology, based in Tehran, hosts seminars and workshops over providing opportunity for scientists in the region to interact and share knowledge with their peers from Member States. The more active participation of both our private sector and the academic community in the programmes of the Centre, will be a valuable contribution towards making this a leading Centre of Excellence within our region,” said Nyandwi.

By Gilbert Ochieng
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