‘Maritime Labour E-Platform Will Boost Competitiveness’ – NIMASA

BY GBOGBOWA GBOWA

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has expressed confidence that the Maritime Labour E-Platform would boost the sector’s competitiveness as it hosted a workshop to sensitize users of the portal through practical demonstrations and interactive sessions.

According g to a release by NIMASA Deputy Director/Head, Public Relations, Osagie Edward, FNIPR, the workshop held in Lagos practicalized the process of registering, verifying and issuing identity cards to seafarers and dockworkers via the NIMASA portal (@nimasa.gov.ng).

In  addition, it involves practical support measures, including training, cybersecurity and planning a phased rollout to ensure smooth adoption, were also discussed.

Speaking at the event, the NIMASA Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr. Jibril Abba stressed the importance of the digital platform to achieving global competitiveness, stating that “our digital transformation is underway. This year we launched the Maritime Labour E-Platform, building on our 2022 dockworkers registration success. It is a modern, integrated system for registering and verifying seafarers, dockworkers, employers, and other stakeholders.”

Represented by the Director, Maritime Labour Services Department, Mr. Ibrahim Umar Sidi, the Executive Director further noted that “by centralizing registration and issuing secure biometric ID cards, it cuts paperwork, speeds up processing, and gives us reliable real-time data. This helps us meet our obligations under the Maritime Labour Convention and boosts Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global Blue Economy.”

He also emphasized that the actualization of the digital platform was in line with the Agency’s statutory obligations, stating that, “This initiative directly fulfils our mandate under Section 27(1)(a) of the NIMASA Act 2007, which charges us with the duty to document and maintain a register of every maritime worker and operator. It also aligns with our obligations under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006, often called the “Seafarers’ Bill of Rights for promoting fair working conditions, health protections, and social security.

In its efforts to build a smarter, more transparent, and efficient maritime sector, the Federal Government launched th

e Maritime Labour E-Platform, during an event in June marking the 2025 Day of the Seafarer in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The platform, which is a digital solution designed to revolutionize the governance of maritime labour in Nigeria, was described by the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola at the time as “a transformative tool for labour administration”.