The Tin-Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) has trained the first set of female harbour cranes and Rubber Tyre Gantry (RTG) operators in Africa.
The Managing Director of TICT, Mr Etienne Rocher, disclosed this at the official presentation of the female crane operators at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos last weekend.
The female RTG operators are: Oni Omotayo; Tina Onwudiwe; Adewale Adegoroye; Adeniran Maltida and Ajayi Oluwaseun.
According to the TICT boss, “They are the first set of women to be trained in heavy duty cranes operation in Africa.
“What is interesting is that we are able to bring in women operators into our industrial equipment conduct.
“This is an additional opportunity for women in Nigeria and also a role model within and beyond the continent that women can actually turn into equipment operator in what has traditionally been a man dominated industry.
“Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa and Nigeria is also showing the way for women employment into the port industry.
“So it is setting the pace for others within Nigeria and Africa as well. It is showing that there is a way to show the mind-sets not on gender but on capability merit.”
The managing director said that the company invested 15,000 Euros (N6.5 million) in training each of the female operators in Cote D’ Ivoire, bringing the total for all five operators to 75,000 Euros (N32.5 million).
“The initial training was six weeks from the trainers that we took from overseas and after six weeks, there was certification.
“Direct training cost was 15,000 Euros but obviously you will have the power on the job which will not be optimum initially but will get better as the person develops the skill.”
The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, commended TICT for the initiative.
She poured encomium on the operators for being champions who are able to work effectively in a new environment and that the sky is indeed their limit.
“I will like to see more women being engaged in port operation activities. TICT has done something very impressive with the fact that they have realised the skill and capacity of women.
“They have trained them and engage them doing the job.
“I am very impressed with the terminal operator and I call on other terminal operators to do same and have women engaged in port operations just as the first female NPA managing director.
“I look forward to seeing more women actively engaged in port operation.
“I believe Nigeria as the giant of Africa is trail- blazing today by having women operating RTGs so we will continue to lead the pace in Africa.’’
One of the newly-trained operators, Omotayo said she was happy on the job and considered it a great opportunity being the first female in Africa to operate a harbour crane.
She said, “What a man can do, a woman can do better. Once you put your mind in it, you can do it.
So, men should not feel they are the only ones that can do such jobs.”
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