NIMASA DG ASSURES OF CONTINUOUS TRAINING FOR DOCKWORKERS

By Godfrey Bivbere
The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi has said that the agency will continue to train dockworkers operating in the nation's ports  in order to improve their productivity and the  volume of cargo coming into the country.

Giving the assurance in Lagos at a training programme Monday, the NIMASA boss said that it is in line with the regulation of International Labout Oganisation (ILO) and International Labour Standards (ILS).

Akpobolokemi who was represented by the Executive Director in charge of Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Ibrahim Zelani, pointed out that it is part of its mandate to train dockworker to ensure that they perform their duty in line with the new development in global cargo handling.

He noted that the second phase of the training programme will take care of 650 dockworkers and will hold in the port cities of Port Harcourt, Warri, Calabar and Lagos. The present programme he further disclosed is a continuing of the earlier one done in the past that took care of 900 dockworkers. The NIMASA helmsman assured that the programme will continue until 7,000 dockworkers operating in the nation's ports have benefited.

He promised that the agency will increase it's the funding for the programme from the 0.5 percent stevedoring earnings collected from the dockworkers employers. Speaking at the function, the agency's Director in charge of Maritime labour Services, Alhaji A.I. Baba, said that a lot of changes have accord at the various terminals in the ports since they were concessioned.