The director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh has emphasised the importance of having a contributory pension scheme for dockworkers, as part of efforts to recognise their significant contributions to national development.
Jamoh, who was speaking at the groundbreaking event for the local maritime industry, during the inaugural ‘Day of the Dockworker’ hosted by NIMASA in Lagos recently, with the theme “Healthy Dockworker, Better Productivity”, said it was a great way to explore ways to enhance their health and overall well-being.
Jamoh delivered the welcome address, urging employers to enroll all dockworkers in contributory pension schemes. He emphasised the importance of ensuring the compliance of operators at oil and gas terminals with approved stevedores on their installations, aligning with relevant international guidelines and conventions.
Jamoh highlighted the challenges faced by dockworkers, stating, “As we celebrate today, it is important to put in perspective the plight of dockworkers who spend the greater part of their working life at the ports, with little or nothing to show for it. As employers of labour, you must endeavour to put in place a contributory pension scheme for dockworkers and ensure prompt remittances of both employers’ and employees’ contributions at the end of each month”.
Addressing the need for compliance with stevedore inspections, he added, “This occasion presents me with an opportunity to express the need for operators in the private jetties and oil and gas terminals to grant operational access to the stevedoring contractors appointed by the Ministry of Transport, to carry out stevedoring activities in assigned operational areas”.
The president-general of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju expressed gratitude to NIMASA management for organising the event, acknowledging the agency’s recognition of the vital role played by Nigerian dockworkers.
Representatives from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Nigerian Ports Authority, Seaport Terminal Operators Association and the National Association of Stevedoring Operators (NASA) attended the event.
Internationally, July 7th is designated as ‘The Global Day of Action,’ organised by the International Dockworkers’ Council (IDC) and International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). The day aims to raise awareness of port working conditions and underscore the importance of collective bargaining rights.
