. As 80% Nigerian seafarers are out of jobs
By Steve Agbota
The Joint Body of the Nigerian Seafarer’s Professional Groups on Sunday said that the nation’s maritime industry loses over $100 billion annually due to inability of the Federal Government to implement Cabotage Act.
This is even as the groups lamented that 80 per cent of Nigerian well trained seafarers are out of jobs.
Speaking at the Days Of The Seafarers 2023 with the theme; “MARPOL @ 50-our commitment Goes on,” the Secretary General of Merchant Seafarers Association of Nigeria, Captain Alfred Oniye, said that there is need to implement the Cabotage Act to create more jobs.
He added that most of the jobs that belong to Nigerian seafarers are being occupied by foreigners, adding that the implementation of Cabotage Act is enough to generate nothing less than $100 billion for the maritime industry yearly because it will open channels for opportunities in the industry.
However, Nigeria is bleeding through the maritime, saying that maritime industry is capable enough to generate much income and millions of employment for Nigerians.
“80 per cent of the seafarers present here are jobless as most of them have been out of sea. If we want these seafarers to meet up with their global counterparts all they need is to add to their training and let them to be more professional and create jobs for them.
“Implementation of the Cabotage Act is enough to create jobs for over 15000 Nigerians because the ship would be built here and owned by Nigerians, adding that Act stipulates that the vessel must be build in Nigeria, wholly-owned by Nigerians and wholly-crewed by Nigerians,” he added.
He noted that the Federal Government must come out with a policy that would encourage ship building in the country, saying that building ships alone in Nigeria would create jobs for over 5000 Nigerians.
Meanwhile, the the chairman organising committee of Day of the seafarers, Captain Ogunshakin Rotimi William,
said the the problem facing Nigerian seafarers is so complicated because of lack of willpower or political interest in solving it because it is a simple problem.
“It is a thing that they can solve, but they don’t want to solve it. The major problem is that Nigerian seafarers suddenly do not have jobs again, Nigeria suddenly do not have ships again, I can tell you, 20 to 25 years ago, I have been over 30 years in the sea business, I can tell you owners of ship, Olodoja, and so many. All of them are no more.
“All those containers you see in the Tincan Island, Apapa port, killing people on our roads, no one was brought in by our ship, we don’t have ship bringing it, so instead of the maritime to bring a source of revenue to the Nigerian citizen and to the economy of Nigeria to boost our economy, it is a drain pipe, it is draining our economy.
“From the ownership of vessel, all the vessels that are here, about 70 per cent of vessel operating in Nigeria are owned by foreigners, and when you pay, you pay to them in their country, the money stays there, they only pay small or some little labourers around here,” he added.
However, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to extend the policy of student loan to seafarers, adding that Nigerian seafarers are also need the loan.