Maritime stakeholders explains why Nigerian seafarers don’t have jobs

Maritime industry stakeholders recently gathered in Lagos for the 6th Annual Maritime Students and Youth (AMSAY) conference with the theme, “Job Creation for Nigerian Youths through Maritime Sector” and urged that seafarer’s employment shouldn’t be left for government alone.

Leading the campaign, Secretary General of the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control for West and Central African Region (Abuja MoU) Capt Sunday Umoren said there must be a conscious effort by both government, companies and individuals to create jobs for seafarers in Nigeria.

CaptUmoren stated that there is a lot of job opportunities in the Nigerian maritime sector, but that these opportunities have to be harnessed.

“We have to be consciously involved in the creation of job employment. This would be done by a company, a government or an individual”

“However, there is a big problem when the responsibility is solely left to the government, if this is done, then we would start having Civil Service State.”

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“Government can create jobs with the mind of improving employment rate in the country, and not necessarily for profit.

But the individuals would think of job creation with their mind firstly on profit, making and ensuring that people are employed” Umoren stated

Speaking in the same vein, a ship owner and former Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Barr TemisanOmatseye said that there is a shortage of seafarers worldwide.

He lamented that most Nigerian seafarers only rely on their degrees, meanwhile seafaring certification goes beyond academic qualifications.

He urged cadets to go for professional courses and certificates, including specialist maritime qualifications which must be upgraded every five years.