By Joshua Yousouph
Findings by Shipping Position Daily have reveal that no fewer than 31 former seafarers of the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) have died since the 2025 verification exercise, as survivors continue to wait for the long-delayed disbursement of their retirement benefits, now reportedly promised for August this year.
The development comes amid growing frustration among the aged seafarers, many of whom are battling ill-health and economic hardship while waiting for assurances from government authorities and union leaders.
Investigations reveal that as older beneficiaries have passed on, their next of kin are being processed as replacements, further complicating the already protracted settlement process. Stakeholders say the situation underscores the urgent need for government intervention, warning that continued delays could mean more beneficiaries may not live to enjoy their entitlements.
When earlier contacted by Shipping Position Daily, the President of the Seamen Branch of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Sunday Avoseh had told our correspondent that the matter is already with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance in Abuja and that any moment from now, the industry will hear good news about the disbursement.
However, in a follow-up call by our correspondent last week, one of the affected seafarers, Hassan Mohammed, painted a grim picture of the situation, noting that deaths have become a frequent occurrence within the group.
Mohammed disclosed that the most recent casualty was recorded between late January and early February 2026, shortly before he travelled out of Lagos. The seafarer, who spoke from his village where he has stayed for over a month due to personal loss, described the prolonged delay in payment as a source of deep emotional and physical distress.
On the status of the payment, Mohammed revealed that the union leaders recently visited Abuja and were informed that their file had yet to reach the appropriate desk at the Ministry of Finance. Despite the bureaucratic setbacks, he said there have been renewed assurances that payment would be made by August 2026.
“Since the 2025 verification, we have lost about 31 people, and these are just the ones we know. Many are still on sickbeds. Our people are dying almost on a daily basis, because they are living in a pitiable state. We lost one person around late January to early February this year. I don’t know if more have died after that, but the situation is very painful.
“It is not a small pain. This is something we have been enduring for many years. These are people who gave their youthful years to build this nation, yet they are struggling to receive what they laboured for before they die.
“They said the Secretary told them the file has not gotten to their table. But once it gets there, approval will follow. That is what they told us after their last trip. They told us around November and December last year that the payment would come in August this year. But some of us feel it may just be a strategy to calm us because we have been protesting,” he said.
Another Ex-NNSL seafarer, Mr. Godwin Ijia, also confirmed the continued deaths among members, explaining that the replacement process is being coordinated at the unit level, with officials facilitating documentation to ensure that relatives of deceased beneficiaries are captured in the system.
Ijia noted that while efforts are ongoing among union leaders to resolve the lingering payment issues, communication remains limited. According to him, representatives of the group reportedly travelled about two weeks ago for official engagements, but no feedback has been communicated to members.
“The unit chairman is giving papers for them to replace those who have died. Once someone is gone, another person, usually the next of kin, comes in. The only thing I know is that they (union leaders) travelled about two weeks ago, but we don’t know the outcome yet. They haven’t told us anything,” Ijia said.
