NIMASA Unveils e-Platform for Dockworkers’ Registration
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA), Tuesday, unveiled the electronic registration platform, (e-platform) for maritime labour and issuance of biometric identity cards to dockworkers.
Speaking at the event in Lagos, the agency’s Director General, Dr. Bashir Jamoh described the e-platform as a major step towards attaining full automation of all its processes,noting that it was conceived out of the need to establish an independent, robust, integrated information, verification and communication platform that would serve as a system database generation on maritime labour in Nigeria.
Jamoh who was represented by the agency’s Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Engr. Victor Ochei, stated that the development of automation processes would benefit the industry both in terms of time-saving thereby improving on service delivery and the building capacity of the maritime labour workforce.
Jamoh said, “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 would promote a seamless registration process that would bring about will culminate with the issuance of biometric identity cards to seafarers and dockworkers”.
The agency’s Director General, stated further that NIMASA remained committed to building up the capacity of Nigerian seafarers and dockworkers in order to improve on the standing of the country’s maritime sector among the committee of maritime nations.
In his words: “I wish to reiterate the agency’s commitment towards actualising its mandate as provided in the enabling Act. Our resolve to make life meaningful to the entire maritime labour remains firm and we intend to achieve this through sustainable efforts in capacity building and improved welfare. The agency is also prioritizing the training of Nigerian seafarers to meet industry needs with emphasis on specialized and advanced trainings”.
On his part, the President General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, (MWUN), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, lauded the automation of maritime labour registration processes.
