By Steve Agbota
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety (NIMASA) has launched its Maritime Labour E-Registration Platform for proper documentation of gainfully employed dockworkers in the port.
The flag-off ceremony which took place at the head office, APM Terminals Apapa, Lagos also witnessed the issuance of biometric identity cards to dockworkers.
During his flag-off message, the Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh represented by the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services (NIMASA), Victor Ochei said the platform is an offshoot of the agency’s mandate to ensure digitalized registration and regulation of dockworker.
Jamoh charged concerned stakeholders to make sure that the platform is not exposed to cyber manipulation.
“The E-platform was conceived out of the need to establish an independent, robust, integrated information, verification, and communication platform that will serve as system database generation on Maritime Labour. It will also serve as a source of statistical data and analytics for National Planning, Policy Making, Training Capacity Building, and Research.
“I am particularly delighted about the prospect of eliminating the time-consuming process of seafarers and employers registration which is what the E-Platform would provide. It is further expected that the E-Platform will promote a seamless registration process that will culminate in the issuance of biometric identity cards to seafarers and Dockworkers.
“The Maritime Labour Employers on the other hand can conveniently complete their registration process from the comfort of their offices without necessarily visiting the Agency’s Office.
“I, therefore, implore our esteemed Stakeholders including seafarer employers, Manning agents, Terminal operators, Dock labour employers, Seafarers, and Dockworkers to ensure that the platform is put into good use while avoiding practices that will expose it to the manipulations of online scammers,” Jamoh said.
In her address, Chairman, Seaport Terminal Operators Association (STOAN), Princess Vicky Haastup who was represented by the Senior Manager, Stevedoring Operation, ENL CONSORTIUM LTD, Olu Ajayi described the initiative as a remarkable feat from NIMASA while hoping that it will be sustained.
“I wish to congratulate the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for this remarkable feat of the E-registration platform and hope that the tempo will be sustained. I particularly urge Stakeholders to please cooperate with NIMASA to make this exercise a seamless one in a bid to have a well-coordinated port system.
“As critical Stakeholders in the Maritime sector, you can count on us for support at all times. I do hope that all Terminal Operators will take advantage of this all-important platform,” Haastrup said.
In his goodwill message, the Country Manager, APM Terminals Apapa, Klaus Laursen who was represented by the Government Relations Manager, APM Terminals, Kayode Daniel, lauded NIMASA for its consistent effort to digitalize port processes and also for singling out the Terminal to be the flagship terminal for the exercise.
Kayode argued that the port should be a highly regulated space that no unregistered individual can just access.
According to Kayode, “For APM Terminals, I want to extend greetings from our profound Country Managing Director, Klaus Laursen who is unavoidably unavailable.
“He’s quite happy that NIMASA found it worthwhile that APM Terminals was selected to be the flagship terminals for this exercise. I think it shows that there are some positive things that APM Terminals is actually doing. Maritime dockworkers administration, we all agree that it has been going through a lot of reforms. We want to appreciate what NIMASA is doing trying to introduce professionalism; bring in standards and ensure they embrace digitalization. I think between ourselves, the Port Terminals operators, NPA, and Shippers’ Council, one of the key drivers for us in the port industry has always been digitalization. We want to move away from a lot of manual processes. And I’m very happy that NIMASA is taking cue that dockworkers who are working within the maritime space, that going forward, there would be a proper database to identify who is working and where. The port is a controlled space, it’s not a place where anybody can just come and do business. You have to be properly registered and identified.”
Addressing an allegation by the President-General of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) in his speech that APM Terminals cannot boast of training at least one dockworker in its care, Kayode said, “APM Terminals invests a lot in training and retraining of our employees. We have the record and statistics and I can pridefully say that we are one of the first terminals to pioneer the training of female crane operators. We have female RTD operators in APM Terminals; we have female mobile harbor crane operators. We have female operators that can load and discharge vessels using our cranes. This shows that we are investing a lot in training. Without the training, they won’t be able to handle their equipment. APM is doing its best and we are here for the long haul. We believe in Nigeria and we will continue to partner with all the agencies to ensure that the economy of this country is repositioned and to ensure that there’s growth and prosperity.”
While speaking, President General, MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju recounted how stevedores usually, in time past, used dockworkers as slaves, noting that the era has gone following the introduction of the E-Platform.
He maintained that the platform will differentiate the good ones from the bad.
“Over the years, stevedores believe that the dockworkers have no father or mother. But through the intervention of the Nigerian Ports Authority, that notion was proven wrong, and that is why we are having the Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Olufunmilayo Olotu in our midst today.
“We will never allow any stevedoring contractor to use dockworkers as slaves in their father’s land anymore. That era is gone and is gone forever. When in those days, they can just pick anybody anywhere in the port and call him a dockworker. It is no longer in history and it will never be in our history anymore. This is because our dockworkers have been transformed and trained to a standard where they can confidently compete with their colleagues in foreign countries.
“And with this E-Register Platform we are flagging off today, I think the sky is the limit for all the dockworkers in Nigeria. This system will identify the good from the bad. Who are the dockworkers? Dockworkers are those who have been gainfully employed by stevedoring contractors, manage, registered and midwife by NIMASA. We almost lost hope because we had been on this matter for five years before the emergence of the DG and ED. But today, we have come out to tell the whole world that we can do it better than before,” Adeyanju noted.
During her address, Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Olufunmilayo Olotu said, “This flag off will give us the room for tracking. It will facilitate facial and voice recognition and if there’s anything I always reference, knowing people who board our vessels has been my priority. When you know your face is going to be recognized, your voice is going to be recognized, and your movement onboard the vessel even when you’re sure is going to be tracked and recorded, it means you’re going to ensure you will not do anything that will put Nigeria into disrepute.”