Mr Emmanuel Emmamuzo, a seafarer, has urged governments, shipping companies and maritime organisations to prioritise better welfare, counseling and emotional support services for seafarers navigating prolonged isolation at sea.
Emmamuzo made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said the emotional burden carried by seafarers was often ignored despite the critical role they played in sustaining global maritime operations.
Emmamuzo, who provides underwater safety support and assistance as a diver to marine engineers during offshore operations, said many seafarers spent more than 90 days at sea, separated from their families and loved ones.
According to him, while the profession offers opportunities to travel, acquire technical skills and contribute to global trade, it also exposes workers to emotional, physical and psychological challenges.
“People celebrate the cargo that arrives safely, but they hardly think about the people who stayed months at sea to make it happen.
“Nobody cares about the months we spend away from our wives, children and families, or the loneliness we battle every day.
“We wear smiles when we return home, but many seafarers come back carrying emotional wounds nobody can see,” he said.
Emmamuzo said that poor communication networks offshore often prevent regular contact with loved ones, leaving many workers disconnected from family life and important milestones.
He said he had missed birthdays, anniversaries, funerals and even the birth of his last child because work schedules rarely permitted him to return home immediately.
He called for greater psychological support, saying prolonged isolation affects emotional stability, increases anxiety and can contribute to depression.
“There are days you receive bad news from home and all you can do is stand quietly on the deck because there is no way to leave immediately.
“Sometimes you just want to hear a familiar voice, but there is no signal, no internet and no means of communication for weeks.
“That feeling of helplessness is difficult to explain unless you have lived the life,” he said.
Emmamuzo said beyond loneliness, seafarers battle extreme weather conditions, violent waves, equipment failures and dangerous underwater operations requiring complete concentration.
He added that docking at foreign ports, often with language barriers, made communication difficult and increased feelings of isolation.
He recounted encounters with pirates and security threats in some coastal regions, saying delayed naval response sometimes heightened fear among crew members.
“There are waters where everybody stays alert because pirate attacks are real.
“When security response is delayed, every passing minute feels like forever because nobody knows what could happen next.
“Our hope most time is the prayers we make before every voyage because the sea can be peaceful one moment and the next moment it can consume everything,” he said.
Enmamuzo said some of his most painful experiences involved losing colleagues during offshore operations.
He described the emotional impact as traumatising because work must continue immediately after such incidents since operations could simply stop.
According to him, grief and trauma are often overlooked until we return to shore, there you start seeing people begin to relive all the painful experiences.
“Imagine losing someone you work with every day and still having to continue the voyage because there is no alternative.
“People think working offshore is all about adventure and enjoyment because they do not understand what happens behind the scenes.
“Every ship and every container that arrives safely ashore carries stories nobody talks about. That is why seafarers need recognition and emotional support,” he said.
Emamuzo acknowledged the positive impact of counseling and psychosocial support.
He disclosed that he had personally benefited from therapy sessions organised by a reputable Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) dedicated to supporting seafarers globally.
The seafarer said the counseling helped him process difficult memories, understand emotional stress and develop healthier coping mechanisms after years of working offshore.
He added that support groups created safe spaces where he could openly disclose his hearing disability due to water electrical wave experiences, even when no one had noticed it.
“Counseling helped me understand that it is normal to seek help after difficult experiences at sea.
“Talking to professionals and fellow seafarers about my partial hearing loss due to water wave reminded me that healing begins when you stop pretending everything is fine.
“My wife and children have tried to understand what I go through, but unless you have lived this life, it is difficult to fully explain it or understand the emotional weight we carry,” he said.
Omamuzo called for structured counseling programmes before deployment, regular mental health assessments during voyages, confidential therapy services and stronger family support initiatives for maritime workers.
He also advocated improved communication facilities onboard vessels, enhanced welfare packages and stronger collaboration between governments, shipping companies and humanitarian organisations to protect the wellbeing of seafarers.
“The world depends on seafarers every day, but seafarers also need people they can depend on.
“Protecting our mental health is just as important as protecting our physical safety and every shipment entrusted to us.
“When you care for the people at sea, you make the sea safer for everyone,” he said.
