Nigerian seafarers have issued a strong call for urgent reforms in the country’s maritime sector, decrying the persistent culture of harassment, poor welfare conditions and the lack of structured support systems aboard vessels operating in the country.
The concerns, which came to the fore during the 2025 Day of the Seafarers event organised by the National Seafarers’ Welfare Board of Nigeria (NSWBN) in Lagos in partnership with the Mission to Seafarers, underscored growing dissatisfaction among crew members who feel abandoned by the very institutions meant to protect them.
Delivering the keynote presentation with the theme, ‘My Harassment-Free Ship’, the Managing Partner of the Maritime and Commercial Law Chambers, Osuala Emmanuel Nwagbara, said the time had come to move beyond policy rhetoric to actual enforcement of anti-harassment frameworks, risk assessments, and confidential reporting mechanisms on all Nigerian-flagged ships.
He noted that the unchecked rise in shipboard abuse, from verbal intimidation to discriminatory practices, has far-reaching implications, not just for seafarers’ mental health but also for operational efficiency and safety at sea.
“A toxic shipboard environment does not just hurt individuals; it weakens team cohesion, undermines safety protocols, and reduces productivity. In the end, it is not only the seafarer who suffers, but the shipowner and the national economy also bear the brunt,” he said.
Nwagbara, who also serves as legal adviser to NSWBN, cited recent developments under the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and International Labour Organisation (ILO) Joint Working Group, including new global standards for defining and addressing harassment at sea, as models Nigeria must adopt without delay.
He called for the integration of the frameworks into local collective bargaining agreements and crew manuals.
Also speaking at the event, Secretary General of the African Shipowners’ Association and Lagos Secretary of the Mission to Seafarers, Funmi Folorunso, applauded the resilience of the Nigerian seafarers, especially women navigating a male-dominated field.
She emphasised that meaningful change would require not just legal instruments but institutional courage to enforce protections where they are most needed.
On his part, a Class Surveyor, Alalade Matthew, offered insights on the challenges faced by female seafarers in Nigeria, recounting early instances of harassment aboard African Ocean Line (AOL) vessels.
He acknowledged the relative progress made by Nigerian shipowners in providing opportunities for women at sea but stressed the need for boundaries, teamwork, and mutual respect onboard.
Chaplain of the Mission to Seafarers, Rev. Francis Aduroja, commended the decision to hold the event in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial maritime hub, despite the national observance that took place in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He urged greater unity within the maritime community and encouraged industry leaders to give seafarers more platforms to speak freely without fear of victimisation.
