Operators: Port Concession Ensured Job Security, Better Remuneration for Dockworkers

Eromosele Abiodun

Terminal operators at the nation’s seaports yesterday in Lagos said Nigeria’s port concession policy has been a transformative game-changer which has ensured job security and improved remuneration and welfare for dockworkers. 

Stakeholders, who gathered at the 2024 Dockworkers Day organised by the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria (SCAN) in collaboration with the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), in Lagos, said the Dockworkers are the backbone of Nigeria’s seaborne trade, yet their inputs usually go unnoticed.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman, Seaports Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Princess Vicky Haastrup, said, as the unsung heroes of the maritime industry, dockworkers play a crucial role in ensuring smooth operation of the nation’s ports. She emphasized that their skills, expertise, and dedication facilitate the movement of goods, stimulate trade, and drive economic growth.

Haastrup applauded SCAN for initiating and organising the Dockworkers’ Day, saying: “Your pioneering idea of shining a spotlight on the often-overlooked heroes of our ports is truly praiseworthy, and your dedication to annually celebrating their vital role is truly laudable.”

She said by introducing private sector expertise and investment at the port, the port concession has improved working conditions and safety standards, enhanced productivity and efficiency, increased job security and better remuneration, and provided training and development opportunities.

Prior to the 2006 port concession programme, she said dockworkers faced numerous challenges, including poor remuneration, lack of conditions of service, and lack of identifiable employers. 

“Today, dockworkers have comprehensive and robust conditions of service, which include health insurance, life insurance, workmen compensation, pension, gratuity, and bonuses,” she said.

Speaking, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola lauded the SCAN, stating that the annual Dockworkers Day celebration will enable government to take appropriate policy decisions that will sustain the great strides already achieved in the maritime industry.

Represented by the Director of Press and Public Relations of the ministry, Olujimi Oyetomi, he said that the Dockworkers Day event is coming at a time the federal government has committed to maximally harness potentials in marine and blue economy sectors to ensure improved productivity, creation of jobs for teeming youths, increase in revenue generation and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in order to attain sustainable development in the country.