By Steve Agbota                                    

To further enhance its role in promoting women participation in the maritime industry, the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) Nigeria has called for more friendly operational environment.

WISTA Nigeria President, Mrs. Eunice Ezeoke, spoke ahead of the association’s yearly luncheon and unveiling of its magazine slated for September 29 in Lagos, with the theme, “Innovation and Digitisation for Sustenable Shipping.”

According to her, the association has been “creating opportunities for women, capacity building, career and professional advancement” over the years.

She said the yearly business luncheon is part of WISTA’s capacity building and sensitisation of women in the industry.

“We pick a day in the year to organise a maritime event, which we call business luncheon. We use the opportunity to launch our WISTA Magazine. It is to spread wide that there is a professional body of women in the maritime industry called WISTA, which is one of the national WISTA associations existing in over 58 countries across the globe,” she said.

“However, this edition holds same day with the World Maritime Day, and for that reason will be starting at 1pm, to give room for stakeholders who will be attending the Morld Maritime Day event.

“Consequently, only one presentation will be made, then a plenary session, and awards to persons/organisations giving back to the industry and also assisting WISTA, the body said.

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Meanwhile, Ezeoke explained that the association is only asking for “more opportunities. Give us more leverage and see how far and how good women can perfect and manage businesses in the shipping and transportation industry.

“Women own ships and are into fishing, and WISTA has been in the business of empowering women by providing boats in the coastal states, and accessories to enable them fish, drive it and make money in the family.

“Women have always been contributing their quota, but we always want more because the level of patronage and acceptance is still very low.”

On financial challenges brought about by innovations in shipping technology, Ezeoke explained that “the issue of finance is not perculiar to women.

“However, women feel it much more because of the socio-economic culture that we are living in. It was not too long ago that women started coming up, as a result of some of the SDGs that Nigeria ratified. That was when women started being more visible and more active in the industry.”

Though she noted that even the men face financial challenges, she stressed that “for WISTA members, finance and sponsorship remain a challenge.

This is in spite of AfCFTA, over which some banks have allowed women some measure of access to funds, though the criteria remain tough.

“Even the fishing boat that WISTA normally assists the rural coastal women with, we have not been able to raise the funds, and that is why this year we have entered partnership with some corporate bodies in the industry to be able to afford the boats,” she said.