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Monday 17 November 2008

Over 120,000 jobs abound in maritime sector

The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Shamsudeen Dosunmu, has said that over 120,000 jobs exist in both the onshore and offshore sectors of maritime industry. A statement made available to our correspondent on Wednesday, noted that Dosunmu disclosed this at the ongoing sensitisation workshop on the Seafarers Development Programme in Bauchi State. He said it was unfortunate that of the 120,000 jobs, foreign nationals had dominated the various facets of the industry.

Dosunmu said, “An estimated 120,000 jobs exist for both onshore and off-shore personnel in the maritime industry in Nigeria. Unfortunately, these have been taken up by other nationals. “A recent conservative statistic reveals that foreign seafarers engaged in our coastal trade earn between $1bn and $1.5bn annually. “In the face of all these opportunities and prospects, however, we are faced with the challenge of building the necessary human capital, at least for the maritime sector to significantly play its role.” Speaking at the event, the Bauchi State Governor, Dr. Isa Yuguda, expressed his support for the ongoing sensitisation of the seafarers. He said the role of seafarers could not be underestimated, considering the revenue accruing to other countries of the world through seafaring activities. He said the citizens of the state would participate in seafaring training activities to be organised by NIMASA. He, however, urged the government to fund the maritime sector in order to optimally utilise its potential for the development of the country, adding that dredging of the Nigerian waters was also essential to facilitate smooth maritime activities.

Dosunmu stated that NIMASA intended to sought nominations from all the states of the federation and provide candidates with the opportunities to develop proficiencies in seafaring overseas. He added that this would be achieved through the utilisation of the agency’s resources in combination with those of the states and other private sector concerns. He said the seafarers would be trained in reputable maritime academies across the globe, while the agency would take time to develop the only academy in the country and also facilitate the establishment of new ones.

He said the aim of the programme was to develop a pool of seafarers not only for domestic shipping but also for international shipping.