Some stakeholders in the maritime industry have attributed the alarming rate of unemployment of seafarers in the country to what they referred to as the poor rating of their certificates.
The stakeholders lament that Nigerian seafarers’ certificate cannot compete with global certificates, which is one of the reasons foreign companies discriminate against Nigerian seafarers.
According to reports, many of the Nigerian trained seafarers now take up menial jobs due to lack of engagement or seatime training.
Stakeholders have on several occasions lamented that there has been discrimination against Nigerian seafarers by both foreign and local companies who preferred using foreigners on board vessel.
In a chat with Shipping Position Daily, the President of Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association, Engr, Matthew Alalade blamed the upsurge in the unemployment rate of Nigerian seafarers on what he called ‘inadequate training’, even as he emphasized that Nigeria seafarers certificate is not competitive enough when compared to certificate obtained in other countries.
According to him “the problem is that our certificates cannot compete with the global certificates, and that is why the unemployment rate of seafarers in the country is increasing, and when you look at it, the challenge now is that seafarers don’t have a favourable environment for them to work, the government or Ministry of Transportation should endeavor to see that we have fleet for training and commercial purpose”.
“Now we are just training cadet which are half baked and that is why our certificate is not competitive enough to match the global certificate, even our schools cannot compete with the global phenomenon” he said.
Speaking also, the Chief Executive Officer Ocean Deep Maritime Academy; a training outfit for Nigerian seafarers however opined that that the rise in unemployment rate of seafarers in the country is as a result of non-implementation of the Cabotage Act, she added that if the Cabotage Act is implemented, the unemployment rate will be a thing of the past.
“If Cabotage is implemented, unemployment of seafarers will be dead, in fact there will not be enough seafarers to man coastal vessels. Just like NIMASA is planning with the Cabotage waiver”, she said.
At a recent function the Vice Chairman of ENL Consortium, Princess Vicky Haastrup had also raised alarm, over the large discrimination of Nigerian Seafarers by the International Oil Companies in the country.
She urged Nigerians to start acquiring vessels in other to increase the numbers of seafarers on board vessels, she urged the government to put a law in place that will ensure that foreigner do not discriminate against the indigenous participation.
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