The recent occasion of the 2026 World Seafarers Day celebration offered yet another opportunity to remember those who served on board ships belonging to the erstwhile national carrier; Nigerian National Shipping Line before the company was liquidated in 1995.
The loudest call for their remembrance came from the immediate past President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju
Adeyanju, who is currently the Deputy President of Nigeria Labour Congress, seized the opportunity of the global celebration of seafarers, to call attention of the Federal Government to the failed promise to pay the thousands of the ratings who were laid-off during the liquidation of the NNSL.
One of the key points he brought to the fore was that about four years ago, government carried out a verification exercise to ascertain the actual number of the retirees, with the promise to commence payments thereafter. This was when he was the President General of the MWUN.
Comrade Adeyanju went on to confirm what this newspaper has written about severally. He disclosed that many beneficiaries have died, others are gravely ill and incapacitated, while survivors remain trapped in abject poverty, even as they await the much-expected payments.
Media reports say that over 600 of these former workers have died, with many remaining survivors facing severe hardships and lacking funds to take care of their medical needs.
In the mass termination of employment in 1995, several seafarers; mainly ratings were forced into premature retirement.
The embattled seafarers served at sea, often in harsh conditions, staffing the nation’s ships and carrying Nigeria’s flag across the world’s oceans. Yet the nation, the agencies responsible, and to some extent, even the unions under whose umbrella they worked, have all turned their backs on these hapless seafarers. The moral debt is undeniable, and the story of these men and women is a damning reflection of institutional neglect.
But, it has been about 31 years, since hundreds of them were disengaged. They were laid-off without being paid their entitlements that is, after the national carrier was liquidated in 1995, by the then-military government.
The collapse of NNSL was not an accident, but the result of a steady decline of an agency of government that was rooted in mismanagement, political interference, ageing vessels, mounting debt, poor cargo support and the absence of long-term investment in ship renewal and maintenance. This had lasted for many years, with government pouring in ‘palliatives’ to ensure that the NNSL remained afloat, even though, its ships were being seized by trading partners and creditors all over the world as a result of un-met obligations.
Their problems started by mid-1990s, that is, during tenure of General Abdusallam Abubakar as military leader, when the once-proud fleet of the NNSL was no longer commercially viable. By 1995, the liquidation came swiftly, assets were sold-off, and the workforce was abruptly disengaged. For the thousands of seafarers, this was not just the closure of a company, but the sudden end of livelihoods. Many of them were still in their prime, willing to work, yet they were compelled to retire unprepared. In reality, they were abandoned; left without pension, gratuity or any of the benefits that had been promised.
Sadly, the remaining assets of NNSL were sold-off among the elites, even as the workers were totally ignored.
The human cost has been enormous. According to reports, more than 700 of the disengaged workers have died since the liquidation, while Shipping Position Daily investigations found that scores of the ex-NNSL seafarers died in 2025 alone while awaiting their long-overdue entitlements. The figures have kept rising since.
Others are bedridden, blind or battling chronic illness – casualties of years of hardship and neglect after numerous verification exercises. The cumulative toll of over three decades is staggering. These are not mere statistics. They represent individuals—fathers, mothers and breadwinners—whose later years in life were being spent battling poverty, illness and neglect, rather than enjoying dignity after years of service to their nation.
Government’s handling of the matter has been marked by insincerity. Verification exercises have been carried out repeatedly, with the Federal Government and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) inviting beneficiaries and next-of-kin to present themselves for screening. These have yielded no result.
We can not overstate the damage that this neglect has done to trust public servants’ trusts in public institutions and more importantly the trust in selfless service. When governments disengage workers, promises of terminal benefits are part of the deal. If those promises are never honoured, what message does that send to the workforce of today and tomorrow? It breeds cynicism, erodes faith in workers’ unions and government agencies, and undermines the moral authority of the State.
While verification of the retirees is necessary in principle, the endless cycles of screening without actual disbursement have become little more than a cruel ritual. Promises are made, files are reviewed, hope is stirred, yet nothing tangible reaches the pockets of those who need it most.
The government must move beyond endless verification exercises and issue clear timelines for payment. It must allocate funds that reflect the true scale of what is owed. Transparency is essential: lists of verified beneficiaries, amounts due and amounts paid must be made public. The MWUN must also be awake to its duty. It cannot continue as a passive observer or a mouthpiece for promises. It must press harder, mobilise, and if necessary, litigate to force action.
The plight of ex-NNSL seafarers is not just about unpaid benefits; it is about justice, dignity and nationalism. They kept Nigeria’s flag flying on international waters. That they are being left to die waiting for entitlements that are rightfully theirs, is an indictment of successive governments and union leaderships alike.
