By Steve Agbota
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) have signed Africa’s first Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on seafarers’ wellbeing and mental stress management.
Speaking on Monday at the MoU signing ceremony, themed “Stress: Understanding, Early Management and Coping,” the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, said maritime training in Nigeria had, for many years, focused on the technical skills required to operate ships safely and efficiently, with comparatively little attention given to the wellbeing of seafarers and cadets.
Mobereola, who was represented by NIMASA’s Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Jibril Abba, said the agency was committed to addressing the mental health challenges faced by maritime workers.
Welcoming ITF representatives who travelled from different parts of the world to attend the programme in Lagos, he expressed appreciation for their partnership and commitment.
He noted that life at sea comes with distinct pressures, including extended working hours, irregular sleep patterns, prolonged separation from family, multicultural crews and challenging working conditions.
According to him, if left unaddressed, these pressures could lead to chronic stress, anxiety, depression, burnout and substance misuse, and, in the most tragic cases, loss of life.
He cited a 2019 study commissioned by the ITF and conducted in collaboration with Yale University, which found that one in four seafarers surveyed exhibited signs of depression, while approximately one in six showed signs of anxiety, adding that the COVID-19 crew-change crisis had further exacerbated these challenges.
“These are not merely distant statistics. They represent the young men and women enrolled in our cadet programmes, as well as the seafarers who carry Nigeria’s flag and engage in trade worldwide. Their well-being is fundamental to safe shipping,” he said.
Mobereola explained that, under the Merchant Shipping Act 2007 and the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, as amended, NIMASA is responsible for protecting the occupational health, safety and welfare of maritime workers, both ashore and on board.
He also noted that the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Convention requires seafarers to demonstrate competence in “Care for Persons Onboard,” including the ability to recognise signs of distress and identify where to seek assistance.
He said the programme was designed to address these needs through the ITF Wellbeing curriculum, which would equip faculty members of Maritime Education and Training Institutions, NIMASA officers and union partners with the skills to identify stress early, manage it effectively and provide psychological first aid when necessary.
Addressing participants, he urged them to engage actively in the sessions, listen respectfully and make the most of the training.
He emphasised that the programme was a Training of Trainers initiative, noting that participants were expected to share the knowledge acquired during the three-day training with colleagues and seafarers in their classrooms, offices and vessels.
According to him, the MoU would formalise the partnership between NIMASA and the ITF, providing a framework for training and capacity-building for faculty members of Maritime Education and Training Institutions and agency officers. It would also facilitate the integration of the wellbeing module into the academic curricula of the institutions.
He said Lagos represented the first phase of the initiative, adding that, with ITF support, the programme would be extended to Port Harcourt to reach nearly all maritime training institutions across the country.
“After the faculty members had completed their training, NIMASA would issue the appropriate Marine Notice to make the module a permanent component of the preparation of Nigerian seafarers for life at sea. A healthy seafarer is a safe seafarer, and a safe seafarer is the strength of our maritime industry,” he said.
Other dignitaries at the MoU signing ceremony included the ITF Africa Regional Secretary, Nairobi, Kenya, Mr Safiyanu Daudu Mohammed; the President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Francis Bunu; and the President of the Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association, Engr Bob Joseph Yousuo.