By Adaku Onyenucheya
Nigeria has failed to enforce the relevant laws and policies governing maritime employment, leaving many of the country’s seafarers unemployed after several years of graduation.
This is according to the President of the Merchant Seafarers Association of USA Inc. and Nigeria, Prof. Alfred Oniye. Nigeria, for failing to address the unemployment crisis among seafarers, is violating statutory mandates and international labour conventions.
The Guardian learnt that despite graduating with good grades from maritime institutions nationwide, many seafarers are currently unemployed. Some of these graduates have resorted to menial jobs for survival, such as operating a commercial motorcycle business, working at local supermarkets and running phone-charging booths to navigate the harsh economic reality for survival.
Also, the lack of intervention from the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and other maritime institutions has pushed the young professionals into poverty. Joseph Bob Miebaike, a 2017 beneficiary of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), told The Guardian that after completing his scholarship programme at the University of Cebu in the Philippines, he has yet to find an opportunity to practise his profession.
Miebaike, who operates a phone-charging booth but holds a bachelor’s degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, noted that most of his Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) basic certificates had expired.
Despite spending over N400,000 to renew them, he remains unemployed and is still searching for an opportunity to work onboard a vessel.For Victoria Ekong, a graduate of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, the situation is no better. Despite finishing with good grades, she now works in a local supermarket in Calabar.
“I have applied to countless companies, attended job fairs, submitted CVs, followed up on maritime job groups, but nothing. It is frustrating,” she said.
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is statutorily charged with regulating the maritime industry and ensuring the welfare of Nigerian seafarers.
Oniye, who also serves as Dean of Faculty at City University, Cambodia, said the ongoing seafarers’ unemployment crisis has legal, economic and social implications.
He stressed that the law obliges the Director General of the agency to implement measures that address unemployment among certified maritime professionals, noting that failure to take decisive action may be deemed negligent in their statutory responsibilities.
In his paper titled: “The Legal Imperatives of Addressing Seafarers’ Unemployment,” Oniye noted that the maritime industry plays a vital role in Nigeria’s economy by facilitating trade, logistics and offshore operations.
He argued that addressing seafarers’ unemployment requires examining the legal provisions that mandate NIMASA to create employment opportunities and protect maritime workers.
According to him, NIMASA’s effectiveness in enforcing these provisions is critical to the industry’s sustainability.
Oniye said Section 22 mandates NIMASA to promote employment opportunities for Nigerian seafarers through collaboration with industry stakeholders and proactive regulation.
Oniye stressed that the Merchant Shipping Act, 2007, governs employment conditions for seafarers, including contractual agreements and welfare provisions.
According to him, Section 134 explicitly outlines the rights of seafarers, including protection from exploitative employment practices.
Oniye also referenced the International Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), to which Nigeria is a signatory. He said the MLC sets global standards for maritime labour rights, noting that compliance with its provisions includes ensuring adequate job opportunities, fair wages and employment security for all seafarers.
Oniye emphasised that NIMASA is obligated to enforce Cabotage laws, noting that the failure to do so has resulted in job losses for Nigerian maritime professionals.
The agency, he said, must also monitor compliance with labour regulations under both the Merchant Shipping Act and the MLC to prevent discriminatory hiring practices by shipping companies.
Furthermore, he said the agency’s leadership will ensure the promotion of training and employment policies, stating that Section 22 of the NIMASA Act mandates the development of strategic employment frameworks, including partnerships with international shipping companies to create jobs for Nigerian seafarers.
