FG reconstructs MTS centre to accommodate 72,000 seafarers yearly

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has said the reconstruction of the Mission To Seafarers (MTS) centre and other ports facilities will undoubtedly scale up Nigeria’s rating in the global maritime community, improve her balance of trade to strengthen the value of the Naira and create employment as over 72,000 seafarers visit the country’s shore yearly.

The minister, who stated this at the commissioning of the MTS centre in Apapa, Lagos, said with the increasing global competition, it has become imperative for nations to make conscious effort to deepen the competitiveness of their ports.

He said the realisation of 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 in enhancing the maritime sector to add greater value to the national economy.

Oyetola said given the pivotal role that the maritime sector plays in actualising this noble objective, the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, is determined to equip seafarers and all maritime workers with the enabling tools to tackle and overcome work-related challenges.

Oyetola commended the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for their visionary intervention in transforming this facility, which was in poor condition at the beginning of this year, into a regional best-in-class that it is today.

He challenged all heads of maritime agencies to be more audacious and innovative in spearheading smart initiatives, which creates opportunities and open up new vistas of growth.

The Managing Director, NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko, said the facility is dedicated to provide support for the millions of crewmen and women, who face danger every day to keep the global economy afloat.

He said with over 90 per cent 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 and the global community is directly or indirectly a beneficiary of the service of seafarers.

Bello-Koko said the partnership with the Mission to Seafarers and consequent development of this facility, is a testament of relentless commitment to advancing the fortunes of maritime trade and unleashing fresh opportunities for growth and prosperity inherent in Nigeria’s blue economy.

According to him, with an estimated 4,000 foreign flagged ships visiting Nigeria’s shores yearly, which implies 300 vessels or a minimum of 6,000 seafarers every month, it has become expedient that NPA intensifies collaborations with global institutions like the MTS.

On his part, the Chairman, Mission to Seafarers, Lagos, Adebayo Sarumi, commended the NPA for renovating the centre, while lamenting that accessing the centre by boat has become impossible, especially as the several years of neglect have eroded the shoreline and decimated the jetty.

He called for the provision of jetty and protection of the shoreline, thereby restoring the berthing rights of both local and foreign stakeholders to the seafarers centre.