The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has expressed frustration over the extended delay in renewing the port concession agreements for terminal operators across Nigeria’s seaports.
President General of MWUN; Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, who made this known at the 2024 Dockworkers’ Day organized by the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria (SCAN) in collaboration with the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) in Lagos on Thursday, said the workers are determined to see the signing of the licenses, which have been long overdue.
He appealed to the Federal Government to ensure that the agreements are signed as soon as possible, as this is currently impacting on operations at the seaports.
Adeyanju said: “We want to see the renewal of the licenses of terminal operators. There are a lot of dividends that we are getting from giving us responsible terminal operators. Why are you delaying the signing of their agreements? The workers are now warming up, because they are worried about what is happening to their employees.
The MWUN boss while emphasizing the need for capacity building for dockworkers urged the terminal operators to keep training maritime workers and engage qualified personnel in the training.
In his address, the Minister for Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, said the Ministry, in conjunction with the Nigerian Ports Authority in a quest to reposition the nation’s ports has commenced processes for the modernization of the seaports, which are to address dilapidating state of the port infrastructures to enhance efficiency and ensure competitiveness in the global maritime space.
Oyetola, who was represented by the Director, Press and Public Relations; Olujimi Oyetomi, assured that the Federal Government would continue to create enabling environment to encourage the participation of the private sector in order to address the infrastructural gaps in the maritime sector to enhance service delivery.
This, he said, is necessary to be able to attain the goals, enhance opportunities and harness the immense benefits in the sector.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr Pius Akutah, encouraged Nigerian Seaport Terminal Operators to prioritise investment in welfare of dockworkers for efficient quality delivery.
Akutah said that there was the need to adopt a culture of continued investment in the welfare, safety, and professional development of dockworkers.
“Dockworkers are the backbone of the maritime sector, and your empowerment is crucial for meeting the evolving demands of the industry.
“The dockworkers ensure seamless operation of our ports and the steady flow of goods essential for national trade and prosperity.
” By facilitating the smooth handling of cargo, you are instrumental in boosting international trade, contributing significantly to Nigeria’s GDP, and attracting foreign investment,” Akutah said.
According to him, the shippers’ council remains committed to working with stakeholders to
enhance efficiency, productivity, and the well-being of those who keep the ports running.
On his part, the Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Adeleye Ajayi noted that
the Nigerian dock labour has been transformed and sanitized, just as he stressed the need to create a safer operating environment at the ports, as it is important to retrain stevedores and dock workers.
He applauded the partnership between SCAN and MWUN, urging that it should wax stronger to create more efficiency at the ports.
President of SCAN, Mr Eugene Agha, said Nigeria is on its way to optimizing the benefits of its abundant ocean endowments with the creation of a separate ministry of marine and blue economy for the sector.
Already, he said both government and private sector stakeholders are repositioning to make the most of this reality.
“In an import -dependent economy, and with the port sector a primary segment of the nation’s focus for revenue generation and economic diversification, we at SCAN believe that Dockworkers are pivotal in translating the efforts to exploit the nation’s near-endless marine potentials into economic wealth,” he said.
