Director General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Mr. Temisan Omatseye has assured stakeholders that the agency will leave up to its statutory mandate of implementing the Seafarers Identity Document (SID) convention by issuing the all-important document to qualified seafarers as soon as the process of domestication is concluded by the National Assembly.
Speaking at the flag-off of the first leg of the sensitization workshop on the SID Convention185 in Lagos last week, Omatseye said that majority of the world’s 1.2 million seafarers come from developing and transition economy countries, but pointed out that “ports that handle 90 percent of the world’s trade are in developing economy, transition and prospering economy countries alike”.
The NIMASA boss explained that the infrastructure required by Convention185 must be implemented in all these economies to provide an “inter operative system of systems”.
According to him, the SID created and issued by one number state will be verified at any borer that the seafarer crosses in the conduct of his or her profession.
Nigeria ratified the SID convention in December 2003 and NIMASA commissioned the SID equipment in 2007 in Lagos and the zonal offices which include Port-Harcourt, Eket and Warri.
Omatseye also pointed out that the benefits derivable to Nigeria in the ratification of the SID Convention185 are in three folds adding that these include strengthening the borders of members’ states against the threat of international terrorism while protecting numbers economic interests in having their seafarers employed by ship-owners
“Secondly, for the ship-owners (employers) the implementation of the convention by Nigeria will enhance their confidence in the international maritime industry and will facilitate commercial shipping. Thirdly, for the seafarers (labour), it promotes safety, security and labour rights of seafarers in the conduct of their proffers”, he said.
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