Seafarer Day: Adegboyega Oyetola, NIMASA DG, WISTA President Others Celebrate
Nigeria and other nations across the globe celebrated the Seafarer 2024.
In Nigeria, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola CON, and his counterpart Minister of State, Labour and productivity Honorable Nkeiruka Onyejeocha led other dignitaries including the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola and the head ITF seafarer’s Trust Fund Katie Higginbottom to mark the event in Lagos.
Director General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola urged Nigerians to participate in this year’s celebrations noting
“Seafarers are the unsung heroes of our global economy, I will even describe them as the lifeblood of international trade, they sacrifice a lot for humanity’s existence as they leave their families for months for our sake. Let us celebrate their resilience, dedication, and the invaluable role they play in our world. This day belongs to them, let us use the Hashtag #SafetyTipsAtSea for all our social media posts so that Nigerian Seafarers will feel appreciated”. He stated.
Furthermore Dr Dayo Mobereola noted that the 2024 commemoration is another way of bringing to the fore the importance of Seafarers as essential workers which was why the IMO set a date specifically for the celebration of these special occupations. This year’s theme according to the NIMASA DG also aligns with the Agency’s drive to protect Nigerian seafarers and create more opportunities for those willing to take a career in seafaring
In the same vain, the President of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA), Dr. Odunayo Ani, has appreciated Nigerian seafarers’ contributions to sustaining global trade, as the world celebrates the Day of the Seafarer on 25 June 2024.
Dr. Ani, who is also a director at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), said that in line with this year’s theme of ‘Seafarers’ contribution to making the maritime sector a safer workplace,’ seafarers have definitely been safety-conscious according to their training, taking on enormous tasks at sea.
She noted that as much as every aspect of the work at sea demands adherence to safety protocols, seafarers around the world are doing their very best technically, to ensure that trade processes involving shipping are hitch-free and sustainable.
The WISTA Nigeria president praised the efforts of seafarers; be they marine engineers, ship captains and everyone who play their role in this discipline. According to Dr. Ani
“On this 2024 Day of the Seafarer celebration, WISTA Nigeria is proudly appreciating seafarers all around the world and particularly our Nigerian seafarers. We are proud of you and we appreciate the sacrifices you make to help the world trade.
“There is no doubt about the fact of your safety-consciousness in the line of your duty. That is the reason why shipping and other work at sea including fishing, deep sea mining, travels and more are still happening,”
It would be recalled that Day of the Seafarer (25 June) was established in a resolution adopted by the 2010 Diplomatic Conference in Manila to adopt the revised STCW Convention. Its purpose is to recognize the unique contribution made by seafarers from all over the world to international seaborne trade, the world economy and civil society as a whole.
Accordingt Mrs Lilian Nneji, Secretary General, WISTA, noted that “the resolution encourages Governments, shipping organizations, companies, shipowners and all other parties concerned to duly and appropriately promote the Day of the Seafarer and take action to celebrate it meaningfully.”
Certainly, this year’s celebration may have come and gone,the invaluable role seafarers play remains evergreen