ITF decries shortfall of Nigerian seafarers in global business

Segun Oladipupo   |

Safiyanu Mohammed, Secretary, African Region of ITF stated this at a function at the weekend.

In view of this, the global transport federation said it would commence Maritime Affiliate Support (MAS) project for the seafarers in the Nigeria to address the shortfall.

Mohammed, who stated that the project is first of its kind in the world, added that it would commence with Nigeria.

According to him, the project entails expanding maritime agreements in the country as well as training for seafarers.

The training, according to him, will afford Nigerian seafarers the opportunity to operate beyond the Cabotage trade in Nigeria

His words, “The Maritime Affiliate Support (MAS) project is the first of its kind in the whole of the world. This time to make sure we start with Nigeria.

“The MAS project is centred on two cardinal points. First, to see how we can expand the maritime agreements in Nigeria

“Secondly, to see how best we could offer some assistance in terms of training so that Nigerian seafarers can be working or operating beyond the Cabotage trade that we have in Nigeria because from the records that we have globally, we understand that we have shortfall of Nigerian seafarers globally.

“The only way we can have that is to enhance true collaboration with NIMASA so that we could have understanding where some Nigerian seafarers will be trained so that they can have global job opportunities in vessels operating within the Cabotage trade

“The project is designed to capture two affiliates in Nigeria. One is the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria and the Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association.

“We have agreed to form what we call a small working group to ensure that the strategy we designed is fruitful,” he maintained.