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Maritime Review: Association Laments Shortage Of Qualified Mariners

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10 years ago

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Maritime activities closed
on Friday with the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM) expressing concern about the shortage of qualified mariners in the country.
President of the association, Capt. Ade Olopoenia,  made the remark in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
According to him, the reason why we have this problem of shortage of mariners is that we do not have a national fleet.
“Most countries without a national fleet cannot afford to train their seafarers and this is why the existing ones (mariners) are naturally ageing.
“The shortage of mariners is not only applicable to Nigeria alone. It is a worldwide phenomenon.
“Generally, in the whole world now, we have shortage of mariners. That is why the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has a campaign called ‘Go to Sea Campaign,’’ Olopoenia said.
The mariner said the campaign would encourage more people to go to sea because “training of seafarers is very time-consuming and it requires a lot of infrastructure’’.
Olopoenia said that a documents consisting of recommendations on how to solve the problem of shortage of mariners had been articulated and sent to the Federal Ministry of Transport since 2014.
The mariner said this would cover so many facets such as: government policy, private involvement, training of cadets, acquisition of ships, practical training for seafarers and examination procedures.
“This year, the IMO’s theme for the World Maritime Day is ‘Maritime Education and Training’.
“We expect government to go through the document, liaise with the agencies involved and call us to deliberate on some of the recommendations in the document,’’ Olopoenia said.
He noted that some people were parading themselves as seafarers but were not in the real sense of it qualified because they had no certificate of competence to work on board ships.
The mariner also told reporters that the association had acquired six plots of land at Lekki, Lagos, to build a befitting new secretariat which would consist of a library, a research centre and other apartments.
In the week under review, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), said it had deployed patrol vessels to monitor the nation’s waterways and prevent entry of ships which posed any danger to the nation’s security.
Director, Shipping Development of NIMASA Capt. Warredi Enisuoh, said that the agency had detained a lot of ships in this regard.
Enisuoh said no waterway in the world was absolutely safe, adding that every country had the responsibility to protect its waterways.
“The problem is, we have a lot of foreign ships coming in, carrying foreign guards.
“There is reason to believe these foreign guards are trained in the handling of arms; no doubt about that.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello, also in the week, said that the council would train more judges on the Admiralty Law, to adjudicate correctly.
Bello told reporters that learning the Admiralty law would enable quick adjudication of maritime cases, adding that such cases lingered too long in the courts.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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1 week ago

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June 27, 2025

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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1 week ago

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June 27, 2025

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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1 week ago

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June 27, 2025

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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