The small island developing nation taps digitalization to transform port operations and empowers women to excel in a traditionally male-dominated profession.

Ilyas Mohamed is the chief operating officer of Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) and a graduate of the two-year TrainForTrade port management course offered by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

He credits the programme with helping digitally transform Male Port operations, which handle about 90% of cargo entering the Maldives.

Ports and maritime transport are an essential lifeline for the South Asian nation, ensuring that imports, food, water and medicine, reach the half a million Maldivians spread across more than 1,000 islands in the Indian Ocean.

The Maldives is a longstanding member of the TrainForTrade programme, a top contender for the 2023 UN Secretary-General Awards. Over the years, the island nation has leveraged the innovative training methods and technological solutions to enhance port operations and empower women in a traditionally male-dominated sector.

Digitalization-powered efficiency

“The program emphasized the importance of port automation and digitalization, revealing numerous areas for improvement, streamlining processes and adopting standards to eliminate duplicate procedures,” Mr. Mohamed says.

TrainForTrade’s focus on port digitalization is part of UN Trade and Development’s longstanding efforts to help developing countries reap the benefits of the digital transformation.

Armed with new knowledge, Mr. Mohamed and his team have developed an in-house software tailored to Male Port’s needs, integrating enterprise resource planning, human resources management and customer services functions.

As a one-stop platform, the solution also enables information sharing among shipping agents, consignees, operators and external logistical partners.

Efficiency gains have quickly followed. The time required for gate approval and payment collection has dropped from two hours, and 15 minutes, respectively, to just a few seconds. The cost of stationery stock has decreased from $2 million to $45,000.

Empowered women port managers

Gender equality and women’s empowerment is another pillar of the TrainForTrade programme.

Aishath Shimla has worked at MPL for 23 years, rising through the ranks from a project secretary to general manager.

Her participation in the TrainForTrade course in 2008 marked a turning point, following which she earned a scholarship to study port management at the World Maritime University (WMU), sponsored by the International Maritime Organization.

“I believe the UN Trade and Development certificate played a crucial role in my nomination to WMU. This opportunity profoundly changed my life and led to offers for senior management positions,” Ms. Shimla says.

After earning her master’s degree, Ms. Shimla re-engaged with the TrainForTrade programme as a lecturer, drawing on her own experience to train and mentor the next generation of female port managers – in a field where men often outnumber women.

“Coming from a developing country and working in an industry traditionally dominated by men, I think programmes like TrainForTrade provide invaluable guidance,” she says.

A new round of training

Between 21 and 25 July, the nation's capital Male started a new round of the TrainForTrade modern port management course, which receives funding contributions from MPL and  Irish Aid – Ireland's development cooperation programme.

Over the next two years, Maldivian port managers will learn practical skills to make their operations more efficient, competitive, environmentally sustainable and socially responsible.

At the end of the course, participants will present case studies to a jury of international experts, proposing actionable strategies to improve their day-to-day port management work.