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By Philip Nwosu
Maritime industry leaders have called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s seafarer training system, greater investment in maritime ancillary services and improved welfare for seafarers, warning that the country must strengthen indigenous maritime capacity to remain competitive in the global shipping industry.
The stakeholders made the call at the Mariners’ Forum held in Lagos, as part of the activities to mark the 2026 International Day of the Seafarer, where master mariners, marine engineers, shipowners and other maritime professionals examined the growing risks confronting seafarers and Nigeria’s preparedness for the future of global shipping.
The discussions were anchored on this year’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO) theme, “Carrying World Trade. Carrying the Risks.”
Former Minister of Interior and Chairman of Integrated Oil and Gas Limited, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho, said seafarers remain the backbone of global commerce, transporting about 90 percent of the world’s trade, including food, medicines, fuel and industrial raw materials.
“If ships stop, the world stops. Yet, much of what seafarers do remains invisible because their work takes place beyond the horizon,” he said.
Iheanacho, however, noted that seafarers now operate in an increasingly volatile environment marked by geopolitical tensions, piracy, drone and missile attacks, extreme weather events and prolonged separation from their families.
He urged shipowners and maritime employers to place greater emphasis on crew welfare, mental health support, shipboard safety and reliable communication systems.
“If seafarers carry the risks, then employers must carry the responsibility. No cargo, charter rate or commercial pressure should ever outweigh the value of human life,” he said.
He also advised the Federal Government to tread cautiously on plans to revive Nigeria’s national shipping carrier, stressing that lessons from the collapse of the former national carrier must first be carefully studied.
“I would not encourage the government to float a national carrier without carrying out a study to find out exactly what happened the last time that we did it.
“We started a national carrier years ago and due to a number of reasons, that experiment failed. If the government wants to go that route again, we must understand what happened then and ensure that history does not repeat itself,” he advised.
Speaking earlier, president of the Association of Marine Engineers and Surveyors (AMES), Israel Obadan, described life at sea as one that demands teamwork, resilience and an unwavering commitment to safety.
According to him, seafarers often depend entirely on one another for survival while operating in hazardous environments.
“When you’re at sea, you’re your brother’s keeper. You can’t afford to be unfriendly because your lives depend on one another. What many people perceive as a nonchalant attitude among seafarers is actually a reflection of the realities they confront daily,” he said.
Obadan urged serving and aspiring seafarers to maintain high professional standards and continually update their knowledge to keep pace with evolving shipping technologies.
Also speaking, Vice President of the Centre for Marine Surveyors Nigeria, Cooky Iroegbu, called for an urgent review of Nigeria’s maritime education curriculum to align with international best practices.
He argued that while significant attention had been devoted to producing shipboard personnel, the country had failed to develop professionals for the vast range of shore-based maritime services.
“We are not adequately preparing officers for global opportunities. Beyond ships themselves, we have neglected critical sectors such as marine insurance, marine surveying, freight adjusting and other ancillary services,” he said.
According to Iroegbu, shipboard employment accounts for only about 20 percent of opportunities within the maritime industry, while ancillary services represent the remaining 80 percent.
He further advocated structured transition programmes that would enable experienced seafarers to move into shore-based careers, allowing Nigeria to retain valuable indigenous expertise.
“When a Chief Engineer retires from active sea service, that experience should not be lost. It should be deployed across the wider maritime industry. Indigenous expertise will become even more critical during global emergencies and supply chain disruptions,” he added.
Stakeholders at the forum unanimously agreed that Nigeria must prioritise investment in maritime education, continuous professional development, indigenous capacity building and seafarers’ welfare if it hopes to build a resilient maritime workforce.
They also stressed that as global geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions continue to reshape international trade, strengthening Nigeria’s maritime human capital has become a strategic necessity for national economic security.
