By Ignatius Ushie
Nigeria will eventually ratify all International Labour Organisation (ILO) instruments already ratified.
The Minister for Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola and the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, made the disclosure on Tuesday in Lagos during the Day of the Seafarer 2024 celebration.
Speaking at the event, the minister, represented by the Director of Maritime Safety and Security in the ministry, Mr. Babatunde Bombata, emphasized the nation’s commitment to seafarers’ welfare through standardized remuneration, safe environment and proper training.
According to him, seafarers’ training would continue to be prioritized just as attention would be given to addressing needs areas of seafarers and shipping in the country.
In his speech, Dr. Mobereola, described IMO’s 2024 theme: “Navigating the Future: Safety First” as apt, while he assured that the agency would strengthen its legal framework by domesticating all Maritime- Labour- related ILO Conventions ratified by Nigeria, adding that, these conventions include the Maritime Labour Conventions (MLC) 2006 as amended, the Seafarers Identity Document (SID) Convention as amended, and the Dock Work Convention.
“We recognize the humongous challenges seafarers face, including war zones, pirates, and exposure to health risks. We also acknowledge that some basic rights, such as proper insurance and compensation, are not always guaranteed. This is a call to action for all stakeholders, government, ship-owners, and ourselves at NIMASA – to address these issues and prioritize seafarers welfare.
“Rights, such as proper insurance and compensation, are not always guaranteed. This is a call to action for all stakeholders, government, ship-owners, and ourselves at NIMASA – to address these issues and prioritize seafarer welfare.
“In the area of employment of Seafarers, the agency, through the introduction of the new Cabotage Compliance Strategy on Manning has ensured that all foreign Seafarer Ratings and some category of officers onboard Cabotage vessels are immediately replaced with qualified Nigerian seafarers.
“The third phase of the Nigerian Seafarers’ Development programme aims to graduate 435 officers. Many trainees are currently undergoing mandatory sea-time training onboard ocean going vessels.
“The challenge lies in securing placements for these qualified seafarers, but we are working to resolve this issue,” the NIMASA boss said.
For the President of Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Mr. Sonny Eja, one way to unlock the opportunities for seafaring is to provide an enabling fiscal and regulatory environment for indigenous shipping capacity to be enhanced.
According to him,
“The disbursement of Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF), lower or zero Customs duty rates for ships and spare parts and tax holidays for operators are some approaches that could spark a significant increase in Nigerian of vessels, thereby leading to more seafaring opportunities”.
