Nigerian Seafarers are Underpaid, Says Merchant Navy Association

By Dapo Olawuni

The Merchant Navy Association of Nigeria has raised an alarm that Nigerian seafarers are underpaid in terms of remuneration, even as it says that many of them are ignorant of their rights.

The association, a subsidiary of the Merchant Navy Directorate has equally called on federal government to appoint knowledgeable people into key agencies in maritime administration.

Director of the Merchant Navy Directorate, Capt Abel Ogah in an exclusive chat with our correspondent in Apapa said that the association was already having an academy; the Merchant Marine Training Academy where it educates seafarers on understanding their rights, privileges and business opportunities that abound in the maritime sector.

Capt Ogah, a retired trainer of the Nigerian Navy, said that Nigeria is yet to tap fully the benefits of blue economy because the wrong people were appointed into key positions.

Speaking, he said “Do you know that our seafarers are underpaid? But so many of them are not aware. There is a standard remuneration for seafarers but Nigeria does not adopt it. Through this association you would know what is your right and what you are entitled to”

“If you don’t know what you are entitled to, you would not be able to fight for it.
We are not out to fight anybody, but to educate people on the right thing that should be done for someone who has chosen seafaring as his profession, what are his entitlements and rights”

“The Merchant Marine Training Academy is a subsidiary of Merchant Seafarers Association of Nigeria.
If you are a member of the association then you must be knowledgeable about what happens in the maritime sector, the membership is not about the academy, it is about the association, but the academy is to help train people who are members of the association. You have to receive the training to become a member, it is like an induction”

“You can get the training and yet not be a member if you don’t want to”

“Merchant Navy Directorate is an operational name for merchant seafarers association of Nigeria, the base for the association”

“Ours is neither a union nor an enforcement, but an association which consist of professionals who are interested in the welfare of the people in the industry, we enlighten seafarers and professionals about their rights” he said

Continuing, Capt Ogah said “What we have tapped from the maritime environment is far lesser than what is yet to be tapped, and until you know what is there, you cannot go and get it.
For us, we are seeing beyond what we are even operating”

“The area of concentration in the country for now is oil and gas, and this is not the only thing available in the maritime industry”

“The first step is to put the right people in the right places. You cannot be formulating a policy about what you don’t have understanding on, when you make an historian the administrator of a maritime environment, he would come and tell stories”

“The round pegs must be put in the round holes and make them understand the policies” he said