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TICT unveils Africa’s first female harbour crane operators

By Victor Ifeanyi Uzoho
29 November 2017   |   3:02 am
The Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT), has made history, as it unveiled the first set of female harbour crane and Rubber Tyre Gantry (RTG) operators in Africa.

PHOTO: fivestarlogisticsltd

The Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT), has made history, as it unveiled the first set of female harbour crane and Rubber Tyre Gantry (RTG) operators in Africa.

Speaking at the official presentation of the female crane operators at the Tin Can Island Port Complex, in Lagos, the Managing Director, TICT, Etienne Rocher, said the operators – Oni Taiwo Omotayo; Tina Onwudiwe; Adewale Adegoroye; Adeniran Maltida; and Ajayi Oluwaseun were the first set of women to be trained in heavy duty cranes operation in Africa.

He said: “What is interesting is that we were able to bring in women operator into our industrial equipment conduct, which means that it is an additional opportunity for women in Nigeria, and also a role model within and beyond the continent that women can actually turn into equipment operator in what has traditionally been a man dominated industry.

“Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa and Nigeria is also showing the way for women employment into the port industry. So it is setting the pace for others within Nigeria and Africa as well. It is showing that there is a way to show the mindset not on gender but on capability merit.”

Rocher disclosed that the company invested 15,000 Euros (N6.5 million) in training each of the female operators in Ivory Coast, bringing the total for all five operators to 75,000 Euros (N32.5 million).

He said, “The initial training was six weeks from the trainers that we took from overseas and after six weeks, there was certification. Direct training cost was €15,000, but obviously you will have the power on the job, which will not be optimum initially but will get better as the person develops the skill.”

The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, expressed delight and commended TICT for the initiative. Usman, who was the special guest, said: “I will like to see more women being engaged in port operation activities. TICT has done something very impressive with the fact that they have realised the skill and capacity of women and they have trained them and engage them doing this job.

“I am very impressed with the terminal operator and I call on other terminal operators to do same and have women engaged in port operations just as the first female NPA MD, I look forward to seeing more women actively engaged in port operation.

“I believe Nigeria as the giant of Africa, is blazing the trail today by having women operating RTGs, so we will continue to lead the pace in Africa.”

One of the newly trained operators, Oni Taiwo Omotayo, said she is happy with the job, and considered it a great opportunity being the first female in Africa to operate a harbour crane.

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