Following reports that the Federal Government plans to deny concession renewals to several terminal operators whose agreements have expired and who have failed to meet expected performance standards, concerns are mounting over the potential impact on the maritime sector.
Checks by our correspondent have revealed that the decision has sparked outrage among maritime workers, with fears that as many as 30,000 jobs could be lost if the government proceeds with its plan.
Reacting to the move, the President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, warned that the government must consider the fate of workers before implementing its plan. He noted that while the union is not opposed to reforms, it would resist any action that ignores workers’ welfare.
“Our concern on this matter is the welfare of the workers—how to retain their jobs. That is what is important,” Adeyanju said in an exclusive interview with Shipping Position Daily. “Whoever is coming to take over from these operators, the workers’ welfare must be discussed. Government appointed (the terminal operators), government disengages, but we cannot fold our hands and allow them to remove those who have transformed the port.”
Adeyanju emphasized that some of the existing terminal operators; particularly indigenous ones have made significant contributions to port operations and should not be arbitrarily replaced. “Some of them have done well. Our indigenous terminal operators have performed very well,” he added.
The MWUN leader also raised concerns over past experiences when similar reforms led to massive job losses. He recalled that during previous changes at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), over 13,000 workers were laid-off, and now, another round of sackings is looming.
“If this goes ahead, it will affect dockworkers, shipping workers, and other stakeholders in the maritime sector. We are looking at about 30,000 workers losing their jobs,” Adeyanju warned
While the government has yet to officially address the concerns of maritime workers, Adeyanju insisted that any concession review must involve discussions with the union to protect employees.
“We are not saying the government should not remove non-performing operators, but they must carry the workers along. The workers are key to the transformation we have seen in the ports,” he stressed.
The Federal Government’s decision to deny renewals to several terminal operators follows years of delayed action on expired concessions. Investigations revealed that some operators have been running on expired agreements dating as far back as 2012.
Recall that a highly placed source in the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy confirmed to Shipping Position Daily that the government has no plans to renew these agreements, citing poor investment and a failure to upgrade port infrastructure to global standards.
“The level of investment at the ports is not what the government expected. When you compare our facilities to neighboring ports, you’ll see that we are lagging behind,” the source stated.
Meanwhile, MWUN has vowed to continue engaging with the government to ensure workers’ interests are protected in whatever decision is taken.
“The union is not against the government bringing in new terminal operators, but they must carry the workers along. If they go ahead without considering this, the consequences will be dire,” Adeyanju concluded.
With tension rising over the fate of thousands of maritime workers, all eyes are now on the Federal Government’s next move.
