- How Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu can transform Nigeria’s maritime industry – Kosoko
The newly completed $1.5billion Lekki Deep Seaport has led to massive transfer of qualified maritime workers estimated to hit 50% employees of terminals and shipping companies at Apapa and Tin Can Island ports migrating to Lekki seaport.
An Employment Solutions Strategist, Ms Ronke Kosoko revealed this while speaking with journalists during a press conference at Morlap House, Apapa, Lagos, yesterday.
She disclosed that several seaport terminals at Apapa are perplexed with the situation as they have started recording a high degree of staff losses on account of better work environment in Lekki rather than the traffic chaos and other challenges at Apapa and Tin Can port environs.
Kosoko, who is also the Chief Executive Officer, Employment Clinic, described this development as something that underscores the urgent need for skilled manpower to replace those exiting Apapa port whilst also meeting the labour needs at Lekki deep seaport.
The press conference was conveyed primarily to congratulate Nigeria’s President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, while drawing their attention to the pertinent maritime needs at Lagos ports.
She equally admonished the incoming President to ensure the appointment of experts into key agencies for instant impact and quick turnaround of the maritime industry, creating job opportunities and addressing infrastructure deficits.
According to Kosoko, over the last decade, the nation’s maritime industry has been declining despite having potentials to sustain the economy, hence, she harped on the need for the incoming government to resuscitate port business and shipping.
“The entire industry is looking forward to Sen. Bola Tinubu and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to revive the maritime industry for the good of the country. This is because there has been dichotomy between the state and federal. Now, we want to ensure that the center aligns at some level because if Lagos works, Apapa for instance is affecting the whole nation. If Apapa Port, Tin Can Island Port and Lekki Port work optimally, the state and the entire nation will be better for it,” she said.
Speaking on Project One Million jobs in the maritime sector, she noted that employment initiative, which started a decade ago, is to connect the dots between the government and the industry in order to create more job opportunities for the nation’s teeming youths.
“The problem of employment is what pushed us into the Project One Million Jobs which has a link with government. The employment part of the industry is a segment, just as infrastructure, policy, appointment issues are segments and if they are not fused together, the maritime economy is not going anywhere.”
“So, the president-elect and the governor of Lagos State should understand that there is need to pay attention to maritime economy. We have been mandated to interface with the seven agencies under the Ministry of Transportation, and have spoken to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers’Council (NSC) and others. We do not want to go on the journey alone, we need the media along and that is part of the reason we are having this session,” she said.
Kosoko also introduced the Maritime Conversion Programme which focuses on getting Nigerian graduates into the maritime sector via industrial training and hands-on experience to enhance their career prospects in the industry.
