Willy Eya
7 May 2004
Lagos — WITH increasing volume and expansion of trade and commerce in the nation's maritime industry, a lot of operators believe that limitless job opportunities abound for the maritime labour.
Both technical, professional and management job openings seem to be available.
Industry stakeholders believe that the maritime labour is expected to continue to enjoy this advantage provided adequate positive and responsive measures are introduced and pursued to impact on labour.
Speaking in Lagos, a university don, Dr. Dele Badejo said that the contemporary structure given to the maritime labour since the enactment of the Joint Maritime labour industrial council (JOMALIC) Act of 2003 has given it a great impetus to develop professional skills and competence in any aspect of maritime operations and management.
He said all that, is with intention of ensuring that the Nigerian Maritime labour is not only competitive but also internationally compliant.
Dr. Badejo, who heads the Geography and Planning department of the Lagos State University, said it was quite obvious that to achieve the desired objectives and goals much more challenges are visible to the Act and the council whose responsibility is to ensure compliance and adherence to the new norms and regulations.
According to him, the major issues that served as challenges here include availability of fund and adequate finance for effective conduct of mission and desired objectives.
Others, he said, are Manpower and Human Capital resources, guaranteed cooperation and support from stakeholders of the industry especially stevedoring companies, terminal operators and shipping companies.
He added that among the challenges also is the need for government to allow the council to perform with little intervention arguing that incessant government involvement will not help in the development of the council's set goals.
The don warned that if the observed challenges were not properly addressed, expected positive results for the establishment of JOMALIC Act, 2003 would not be realized.
He said the maritime labour development and welfare matters which the Act is to focus on will remain not only underdeveloped but deplorable.
He stated that if the challenges were not adequately addressed, employment opportunities will decline, and professionalism will be lost with the quality control and standards.
He suggested there was need to improve on its fund and finance base to ensure that adequate funds were available for it to propagate set goals.
Dr. Badejo argued that since it has to rely on the deductions of operational earnings of some organizations and subvention from government, JOMALIC should be seen to be financially prudent, disciplined and honest.
He recommended that Technology Acquisition Scheme should be evolved without delay by the council to assist maritime labour, Stevedoring practitioners, terminal operators and sundry stakeholders with direct relevance to the council.
This, he said, was necessary because of the technological changes often occasioned in the maritime industry arguing that such changes are known to have serious negative effects on maritime labour.
He recommended that management information and Data Control System must be well developed to cope with the set goals of the Act stressing that to achieve this objective effectively, professional and well-trained personnel in data management should be engaged to perform the task.
Dr. Badejo noted that manpower capital development and human resource improvement of the council was vital and eminent for it to be able to perform the set tasks effectively.
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