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By Steve Agbota
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, on Wednesday commissioned the newly rebuilt Mission To Seafarers (MTS) Centre in Apapa to strengthen competitiveness in the nation’s ports.
The MTS, which has been in a sorry state for long, was rebuilt by the Nigerian Ports
Authority (NPA) under the management of Mohammed Bello-Koko.
Speaking during the commissioning programme, the Minister commended the management of NPA for its visionary intervention in transforming the facility, which was in poor condition at the beginning of the year.
“I was highly elated when I received the report of the commissioning of this Seafarers’ Centre by the Nigerian Ports Authority. My joy is rooted in the realisation that this purpose-built facility, designed to provide vital social, psychological, and emotional support to the crewmen and women who drive global trade in and out of Nigeria, signposts the seriousness of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in enhancing the maritime sector to add greater value to the national economy.
“Improving Nigeria’s balance of trade, which is crucial to strengthening the value of the naira and creating employment, is at the top of Mr President’s policy agenda. Given the pivotal role that the maritime sector plays in actualising this noble objective, the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, under my leadership, is determined to equip seafarers and all maritime workers with the enabling tools to tackle and overcome work-related challenges.
Also speaking during the commissioning programme, the Managing Director of the NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko, said that it makes sense to ensure that seafarers who drive global trade have a well-furnished and equipped space such as this to unwind and regain psychosocial balance anytime they come to Nigeria.
“With over 90 percent of global trade, which accounts for half of the world’s economic output, constituting an important economic driver that helps to spur development and reduce poverty going by sea, every member of the maritime community and indeed the global community is directly or indirectly a beneficiary of the service of seafarers.
“So it makes sense to reserve well-furnished and equipped spaces such as this all over the world for seafarers to unwind and regain psychosocial balance.
The decision to urgently reconstruct and fully equip this facility to acceptable global standards derives from our persuasion at the Nigerian Ports Authority that shore leave for seafarers, which this facility affords, is a necessity and not a luxury.
“It is essential for this special category of men and women who spend weeks on end holed up with only workmates for the company to get on shore to interact and access the internet to contact family, seek welfare, secure medical or psychological support if needed, and have a break from the work environment,” he explained.
According to him, the partnership with the Mission to Seafarers and consequent development of this Seafarers Centre is a testament to NPA’s relentless commitment to advancing the fortunes of maritime trade and unleashing fresh opportunities for growth and prosperity inherent in Nigeria’s blue economy.
“With an estimated number of four thousand (4000) foreign-flagged ships visiting our shores annually, which implies three hundred (300) vessels (or a minimum of 6,000 seafarers) every month, it has become expedient that we intensify our collaborations with global institutions like the MTS to encourage shore leave and crew change and, of course, reap the concomitant benefits for coastal tourism and the projection of a positive image and reputation for our dear nation.
“Already, we are witnessing improvements in inland traffic to and from our ports. These, coupled with developments in intermodal transportation, as occasioned by our advancing rail system, are bound to encourage and stimulate immense opportunities in the maritime ecosystem.
“It would be pertinent to mention that the combination of being a coastal nation and a sub-regional economic powerhouse, as well as being the continent’s most populous nation with a youth population of about 60 percent, compels us to take advantage of every opportunity to deepen our port competitiveness and rating to attract necessary opportunities to cater to this growing demography,” he said.
