Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) have formalised a partnership to promote the mental health and wellbeing of Nigerian seafarers and cadets, in a move aimed at strengthening welfare standards and improving safety in the maritime industry.

The partnership was sealed with the endorsement of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focused on training, awareness creation and capacity building to help seafarers identify, manage and cope with the psychological challenges associated with life at sea.

The agreement was reached during a three-day Seafarers’ and Cadets’ Wellbeing Awareness and Train-the-Trainers Programme organised by NIMASA in collaboration with the ITF, with the theme, “Stress: Understanding, Early Management and Coping.”

Speaking at the programme, NIMASA Director-General, Dr Dayo Mobereola, said the partnership would strengthen capacity development and support the integration of seafarer wellbeing modules into maritime training curricula.

Mobereola, who was represented by the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr Jibril Abba, said the initiative was designed to make mental health awareness and wellbeing a permanent feature of preparations for life at sea. Abba also endorsed the MoU on behalf of NIMASA.

According to the Director-General, the wellbeing of seafarers is fundamental to safe shipping, making it imperative to equip maritime training institutions, agency officials and union representatives with the knowledge and skills required to identify stress, manage its effects and provide psychological first aid when necessary.

He stressed that seafarers face significant psychological pressures, including stress, anxiety, depression and burnout, arising partly from the demanding nature of their work and prolonged separation from their families.

To underscore the scale of the challenge, Mobereola cited a 2019 study commissioned by the ITF in collaboration with Yale University, which found that one in four seafarers surveyed showed signs of depression, while approximately one in six exhibited signs of anxiety.

He said the findings reinforced the need for sustained interventions to safeguard the mental health of maritime workers and promote a healthier working environment at sea.

The ITF Africa Regional Secretary, Mr Safiyanu Dauda Mohammed, described the agreement as a significant milestone, disclosing that it was the first MoU of its kind the federation had entered into with any African country.

“It is very exciting for me because it is the first in Africa, and we are starting with Nigeria,” Mohammed said.

He emphasised the strategic importance of seafarers to the maritime industry, noting that their contributions made it necessary to prioritise their welfare and wellbeing.

According to him, addressing the anxiety and depression experienced by seafarers would help strengthen their welfare and support their ability to perform their duties effectively.

Also speaking, the President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Comrade Francis Bunu, welcomed the partnership, describing it as an important step towards ensuring that seafarers remain mentally fit to carry out their responsibilities.

“We need seafarers to be mentally sound while doing their job, and that is why today is a very significant day for the seafarer in Nigeria,” Bunu said.

Other stakeholders at the event included the National President of the Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association, Chief Engineer Bob Joseph Yousou; ITF Wellbeing Coordinator, Dr Asif Altaf; and ITF Inspector, Mr Hamani Amadou, among others.

The programme comes amid growing recognition of the mental health challenges confronting seafarers, whose jobs often involve demanding working conditions, extended periods at sea and prolonged separation from family members and loved ones.

These conditions can increase the risk of psychological distress, making early identification, appropriate support and effective coping strategies essential components of seafarer welfare and maritime safety.

Through the MoU, NIMASA and the ITF are seeking to strengthen institutional collaboration and build the capacity of maritime stakeholders to provide more effective mental health support for seafarers and cadets.

The partnership also underscores the importance of integrating wellbeing into maritime education and professional development, recognising that the physical and psychological fitness of seafarers is central to safe and efficient shipping operations.

The initiative reinforces the shared commitment of both organisations to advancing seafarer welfare through sustained training, greater awareness and improved access to mental health support, underlining the principle that a healthy seafarer is a safe seafarer.

Monday Discourse with Ibrahim Nasiru

At the African Ports Conference (COPAF 2026) in Casablanca, Morocco, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, dropped a piece of unvarnished realism that should govern all future maritime discourse on the continent.

Speaking on the theme of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, Dantsoho issued a vital warning: African ports must establish effective, uncompromised digital foundations before they rush to deploy artificial intelligence (AI).

In an era where public officials routinely weaponize trendy buzzwords like “AI,” “Big Data,” and “Smart Governance” to perform administrative progress, Dantsoho’s perspective is a refreshing return to structural logic.

Smart ports, he rightly argued, must be measured by tangible operational realities—faster vessel turnaround times, shorter cargo dwell times, lower costs, and watertight revenue accounting—not by the sheer volume of technology purchases.

The numbers coming out of Nigeria’s maritime sector suggest that getting the basic digital foundations right yields immediate economic dividends.

The deployment of foundational tools like the “Eto” truck call-up system, alongside initial frameworks for the Port Community System, catalyzed a staggering 24.8 per cent increase in Nigeria’s cargo throughput.

This foundational digitisation is precisely why the World Bank’s Container Port Performance Index recently recorded strong upward trajectory rankings for both the Tin Can Island and Apapa Ports.

But as Nigeria embarks on its massive $1 billion Lagos ports modernization program, we must face the hard, structural truth that lies beneath these celebratory statistics.

Digitisation is not merely about software procurement; it is about political will and institutional harmonization.

For over a decade, Nigeria’s biggest maritime bottleneck has not been a lack of computers, but the fierce, territorial resistance from various state agencies refusing to plug into a single, unified data ledger.

A “Smart Port” cannot exist in a vacuum where customs, immigration, terminal operators, and security agencies run isolated, analogue silos designed to preserve bureaucratic fiefdoms and rent-seeking opportunities.

If the $1 billion modernization fund is spent buying sophisticated AI predictive maintenance tools and automated vessel planning systems while the National Single Window remains structurally sabotaged by agency politics, we will simply end up with a highly automated system that accelerates corruption and bottlenecks.

You cannot run a predictive AI algorithm on data that is manually altered or hidden by a human clearing agent at the wharf.

Dantsoho is entirely correct: we must build the digital plumbing before we chase the AI crown.

Going into 2027, the yardstick for evaluating the NPA’s modernization program must not be the number of smart cameras or automated gates installed.

The true metric of success will be the complete, legally enforced integration of all port stakeholders into a single data ecosystem.

Until the data flows seamlessly and transparently from the vessel to the final exit gate without human friction, any talk of an “AI-driven smart port” is mere window dressing.

We must fix the foundations first, or watch a billion dollars clear out into the ocean of unfulfilled potential.

Ibrahim Nasiru, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja.

Funso OLOJO, Editor 

The Dredgers Association of Nigeria (DAN) has disowned a media report alleging extortion, harassment and intimidation of dredgers and tipper operators by the Lagos State Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Hon. Ekundayo Alebiosu and Mr. Cardozo.

The association, in a disclaimer issued on Friday, October 23, 2026, said the report, published by Linda Ikeji’s Blog and other online platforms under the headline “Dredgers Association Appeals to Sanwo-Olu Over Alleged Extortion, Urges Governor to Call Alebiosu, Cardozo to Order,” did not originate from its national leadership or any authorised organ of the association.

DAN stated categorically that it neither authorised nor approved any petition or press release accusing the commissioner and Cardozo of harassment, intimidation or extortion.

It also denied having any record of the alleged impounding of trucks and the purported demand for ₦500,000, which featured in the publication.

The association, therefore, distanced itself entirely from the allegations, urging the public and relevant stakeholders not to regard the report as an official statement of its position.

Reaffirming its relationship with the Lagos State Government under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, DAN described its engagements with the government and the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development as cordial and collaborative.

According to the association, issues concerning dredging regulations and the interpretation of Supreme Court judgments on shoreline authority are being addressed through appropriate institutional channels and dialogue with relevant federal and state authorities.

It stressed that such matters were being handled through established processes rather than media confrontations.

DAN consequently urged the Lagos State Government, Alebiosu and other stakeholders to disregard the publication in its entirety, insisting that it did not represent the association’s official position.

The association also expressed regret over any embarrassment, inconvenience or reputational damage the report might have caused the Lagos State Government, the commissioner and other officials mentioned.

Reaffirming its commitment to responsible industry engagement, DAN said it remained dedicated to promoting lawful and sustainable dredging operations across Nigeria through constructive collaboration with relevant authorities and stakeholders.

The disclaimer was signed by the association’s National President, Batare Akpomejero, and National Secretary, Richard Ntan.