Headlines

400, 000 Pilipino seafarers may lose jobs over poor maritime safety standards.

Pilipino Seafarers

—–as Philippines may be removed from IMO white list

Grace Olojo with agency report

400, 000 Pilipino seafarers may soon be thrown into the labour market following a European audit report which indicted the Philippines of a flagrant breach of maritime safety standards.

However, the affected seafarers are awaiting the decision of the European Commission on the matter.

The European Maritime Safety Agency, or EMSA, said that the Philippines has not been complying with international maritime safety standards.

EMSA is charged with reducing the risks of maritime accidents, marine pollution from ships and loss of human lives at sea.

Earlier in 2022, the EMSA specified that the training and certification in Philippine maritime education institutions fell short of guidelines mandated by the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers.

The European Commission will ultimately decide the seafarers’ fate following the EMSA audit.

If the Commission upholds the findings, it may no longer recognize the seafarers’ competency certifications, which would prohibit them from working on European Union-flagged vessels — effectively leaving them jobless.

The Philippines could also end up being excluded from the International Maritime Organization’s “white list” of countries with seafarer employability.

Celia Dejond, press officer for the European Commission said that in case a withdrawal decision is adopted, existing seafarers’ certificates would only be recognized until they expire.

The maximum period for the recognition of seafarers’ certificates is five years.

“Since the Philippine’s reply to the audit findings was very extensive, the European Commission services assisted by experts are still carefully analyzing it with the intention to finalize the process with a final decision possible by end of first quarter 2023,” said Dejond.

EMSA is charged with reducing the risks of maritime accidents, marine pollution from ships and loss of human lives at seaImage.

This waiting game is putting 23-year-old Jan Bren Fermin on tenterhooks.

He lamented that since he was a little boy, he has dreamed of sailing the waters of Europe for a sense of wider adventure — not to mention the attractive pay and working conditions.

“It is so important that the country passes the European regulatory requirements. If we don’t, I fear that international companies will no longer hire from the Philippines,” said Fermin.

“I will lose my dream of someday becoming a captain on a European vessel.”

Nicanor Castro has crossed the waters of the globe for more than two decades. He’s been hearing about the European regulatory warnings for years and fears the possibility of suddenly not being allowed to sail.

“It shouldn’t have come to this if the government had taken the warnings seriously and acted sooner,” Castro said.

EMSA has been warning the Philippines about it noncompliance since 2006.

During a hearing in the Philippine Senate in October, Migrant Workers Assistant Secretary Jerome Pampolina warned that 2022 is the final year marked by EMSA for compliance and warned of a “domino effect” on other related maritime industries.

In November, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with European Union transport officials in Belgium and assured them that the government is committed to addressing the flagged deficiencies and complying with European regulations.

Officials insist the government has taken consistent measures to improve maritime training and education and has significantly reduced the number of audit findings over the years.

“We have taken considerable efforts to show the country’s compliance with international standards, such as policy revisions and issuing standards and guidelines which are aligned with outcomes-based education,” Cindy Benitez-Jaro, executive director of the Commission on Higher Education, declared.

The Philippines could end up being excluded from the International Maritime Organization’s ‘whitelist

Samuel Batalla, officer-in-charge of the Maritime Industry Authority, said the exhaustive corrective actions presented by the Philippines in response to the audit “gives us the confidence that we can expect for a positive outcome.”

“As for expectations, we are always hoping for the best,” he said.

Labor rights groups have slammed the government response as “Band-Aid solutions.”

“The government has depended on private educational institutions to provide maritime education, but has not provided them with sufficient subsidies to upgrade their facilities to align with international standards,” said Edwin Dela Cruz, who oversees seafarer concerns for rights group Migrante International.

“The government makes so much money from seafarers. They need to at least provide them with up-to-date training and not stopgap measures.”

The Philippines is the world’s largest provider of seafarers.

Data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development shows that the Philippines is the world’s largest provider of seafarers, followed by Russia.

An estimated 380,000 Filipino seafarers, or over a quarter of all global merchant shipping crew members, are deployed on domestic or foreign-flagged shipping vessels.

Figures from the Philippine Central Bank show that in 2021, Filipino seafarers sent home an estimated $6.54 billion (€6.15 billion) in remittances.

Filipino seafarers were among those most impacted by pandemic-related lockdowns, border closures and lack of international flights which left hundreds of thousands of seafarers stranded at sea, unable to be replaced or repatriated.

At the height of the pandemic in 2020, about 50,000 Filipino seafarers had been brought back home. According to government data, the deployment of seafarers has only begun to return to normal last year.

“Seafarers — including Filipinos — have already suffered a lot during COVID. Further employment difficulties are not really what they need,” Jan Hoffmann, head of trade logistics at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, said.

Headlines

Open Letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the need to assent to the Nigerian Shipping and Ports Economic Regulatory Agency(NSPERA) bill

By Elder Asu Beks

Mr President,on behalf of the Maritime Elders Forum and entire maritime stakeholders, i respectfully send you season’s greetings.

There is no doubt, Mr President, that 2025 has been one of the most turbulent and challenging years in the history of our nation.

From the wave of insecurity ,which you have tackled squarely,to the far reaching economic reforms which has translated to the tax reform bills , are all pointers to the fact that you are taking the challenges head on.

Mr President , your modest achievements in the Oil and Gas sector are also there for all to see.

From the bold decision to abolish fuel subsidy to the increase in daily production levels to an average 1.8m bpd ,from about 1mbpd daily output as at May ,2023, and the complete disapperance of fuel queues, it is certain, Mr President, that you are building a legacy of renewed hope, unprecedented in the life of our nation.

We cannot thank you enough, Mr President.

For us in the maritime sector, the most profound of your score card remains the creation of a specialised Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

The demand for a Ministry to oversee Nigeria’s vast maritime domain is as old as Nigeria’s Independence.

For us as critical stakeholders, this couldnt have come at a better time.

In just two years of the creation of this specialised Ministry, Nigerians are already reaping bountifully from this innovative move.

Only last month,Nigeria won an election into the elusive category ” C” of the International Maritime Organisation, (IMO).

This victory is coming after nine unsuccessful attempts, spanning 14 years.

With this victory , which couldn’t have been posible without your fatherly role,our fortunes as one of the greatest maritime nations in sub saharan Africa has been solidified.

Mr President, another milestone recorded under your watch ,since the creation of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy is the introduction of the game changing National Single Window platform which comes into effect in the first quarter of 2026.

The National Single Window is a trade facilitation tool designed to eliminate multiple entries by various regulatory bodies in business transactions in our seaports.

In other words, it is a digitalized platform that allows importers and exporters to submit all necessary documents, permits , and data to multiple government agencies through a single entry point.

Mr President, with these developments, you have etched your name as “the President who saw tomorrow” by demonstrating in concrete terms, the enormous potentials which this sector holds as your administration continues to look at a Nigeria beyond oil.

In this regard, Mr President ,we the Maritime Elders Forum urge you ,without delay to sign into law, the Nigerian Shipping and Port Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Bill .

The NPERA Bill aims to transform the Nigerian Shippers Council, (NSC) into a powerful, independent economic regulator for Nigeria’s Ports,creating a strong frame work for tariffs,fair competition and efficiency after port concession.

The Bill, a brain child of Dr Tajudeen Abass, Speaker, Federal House of Representatives, is aimed to fill the vacuum created by an absence of a regulatory agency in such a critical sector of our national economy ,as against other sectors such as banking, petroleum , energy and communication.

This critical Bill seeks to repeal the old Nigerian Shippers Council Act and empower the Council to manage port economic activities, boosting the Blue Economy.

Mr President, the laudable objectives of this Bill include;establishing an independent regulation to create a strong legally backed economic regulator for our ports; Control tariffs, charges and regulate port charges in such a manner as to prevent arbitrariness and ensure fairness; to promote fair competition by improving overall port operations and attract investment; Support the Blue Economy to align with our national goals for developing Nigeria’s Marine Economy.

Your Excellency Sir, this Bill was given an accelerated hearing ,and was passed by both chambers of the National Assembly on April 10, 2025 upon which it was forwarded to you for assent.

Mr President sir, the delay or your failure to assent to this Bill is coming at huge cost and has resulted in significant economic losses for Nigeria, primarily by perpetuating an unregulated and inefficient port system that has led to huge financial leakages that deter investment.

Mr President, sir, it is estimated that the nation is losing billions of dollars dailly to the absence of a strong legal frame work for port economic regulation.

We have on good authority, Mr President, that this obvious lack or absence of a regulated ports industry is also taking a huge toll on local and foreign investments as an estimated $250b is said to be lost annually, aside arbitrary charges by terminal operators and Shipping Lines .

In a nutshell, Mr President, the envisaged benefits of this brand new Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has been eroded on account of the absence of a legal regulatory frame work.

As it stands, sir ,a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy without an Economic Regulator is akin to a football game without a referee.

it means anything goes and the out come of a game without an official umpire could be better imagined.

Mr President sir, consequently ,the time to sign the NPERA Bill is now.

Thank you Mr President for listening to this passionate appeal.

Let this be your new year present to Maritime Stakeholders.

ELDER ASU BEKS, CONVENER, MARITIME ELDERS FORUM, LAGOS

Headlines

Tantita intercepts stolen crude on escort of Delta Marine Police, arrests four suspects

Funso OLOJO

Tantita Security Services Limited, a pipeline surveillance operations company, has intercepted a tanker vessel, MT Thor, laden with suspected stolen crude oil.

The interception, which occurred on December 15th, 2025, around the Koko–Excravos axis of Delta State, happened while the vessel was allegedly being escorted by personnel of the Police Marine Unit, Delta State, who reportedly claimed they were acting on directives from the Force Intelligence Department (FID), Abuja.

Four suspects have been apprehended in connection with the incident and are currently facing investigation for possible prosecution.

The arrest was announced during the handover of the suspects at Koko Port in Delta State by Tantita Security Services Limited (TSSNL), a firm engaged in pipeline surveillance operations.

Speaking at the handover of the vessel and the suspects at Koko Port, Delta state, the Executive Director of Operations at Tantita, Captain Warredi Enisouh, said the suspects were apprehended with an unspecified quantity of suspected illegally sourced petroleum products aboard the vessel.

According to a situation report made available by the Special Prosecution Team (SPT) of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Petroleum Product Theft, Tantita alerted the Head of Investigation of the SPT after intercepting MT Thor, which was allegedly laden with crude oil obtained through illicit means.

Preliminary investigations by law enforcement agencies revealed that the vessel, now classified as an exhibit in an ongoing criminal investigation, is linked to a jetty operated by Ebenco Global Services Limited.

Investigation officers disclosed that documents and correspondence connected to the jetty were obtained and are currently under review.

“The owner of the jetty, Mr. Ebenezer, was contacted by investigators and reportedly provided additional documents, including court orders, which are also being analysed as part of the investigation.

“On December 16, a joint investigation team led by the Head of Investigation of the SPT conducted a Joint Inspection Visit in Koko.

The team first met at Tantita’s corporate headquarters in Warri for a briefing, which was also attended by the jetty owner.

“During the inspection, investigators attempted to obtain samples from MT Thor but were unable to do so immediately as the vessel had not yet arrived at the jetty, having been towed from an earlier location by security operatives.

“While awaiting the vessel’s arrival, the team inspected other containers suspected to be carrying crude oil within the premises of Ebenco Global Links Limited, where samples were taken from a storage barge.

“MT Thor eventually berthed at about 8:30 p.m. on 16 December, prompting the joint team to adjourn sampling and other procedures until the following day.

As of 17 December 2025, investigators were reported to be en route to Koko to continue sample collection and complete investigation formalities,” the report read.

Receiving the suspects, the Head of the Special Prosecution Team of the Inter-Agency Task Force, Omar Sini, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s resolve to dismantle crude oil theft networks in the Niger Delta, assuring that all findings would be thoroughly examined and prosecuted in line with the law.

Headlines

Mobereola, NIMASA DG, reflects on year 2025 with satisfaction, says 2026 holds promising opportunities for maritime industry

Funso OLOJO

The Director -General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dayo Mobereola, has expressed his satisfaction over the achievements recorded in the maritime industry in the outgoing year of 2025, while looking forward to a promising 2026 with hope.

In his Christmas message to the stakeholders in the maritime industry, Dr Mobereola noted that the 2026 ended well with the election of Nigeria into the category C of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) after 14 years of failed attempts as well as zero occurrence of piracy attacks on Nigeria’ waters.

“The year 2025 has been a good one for our industry as once again, we have not recorded a single piracy attack in our waters in a whole calendar year, Nigeria was also able to deposit three Instruments of Accession to IMO Conventions that were signed by President Bola Tinubu ,we have been able to maintain industrial harmony in the sector all of which culminated to Nigeria’s election into the category C Council of the International Maritime Organization.

“We couldn’t have done this without our stakeholders who have contributed in various ways in the course of their operations during the year. We see you, we thank you and we felicitate with your during this yuletide season”Mobereola observed.

He however assured that the Agency will re-double efforts in ensuring that 2026 is even better for every stakeholder.

While calling on industry operators to brace up for the new year with hope of better times, Dr. Mobereola noted that “at NIMASA, we appreciate the weight of our renewed responsibility by virtue of Nigeria’s membership of the IMO Council because to whom much is given, much is definitely expected.

” You can therefore be sure of an increased momentum in our resolve to sustain maritime safety, security, environmental protection and adherence to relevant conventions and protocols with renewed vigour.”

The DG concluded by acknowledging the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, industry stakeholders, management and staff of NIMASA as well as all Nigerians and wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.