2024 MWP BOOT CAMP: Follow Your Passion As Female Seafarers - FESAN President
"This is beautiful catch-them-young initiative is bound to stimulate interest in the sector" - MWUN PG
"Participants should engage in environmental advocacy to ensure healthy marine environment" - NOSDRA
By: Bisi Akingbade
The President, Female Seafarers Association of Nigeria, FESAN, Koni Duniya, has said that its a possibility that a woman can go on board the ship to work as a Seafarer.
Duniya said being a woman alone can be difficult in any male dominant environment to equally perform the same job.
Duniya who was represented by a female Marine Engineer, Dise Youdeowey, at the 2-day 2024 Maritime Writes Project, MWP, Boot camp, LCCI, Ikeja, Lagos. with the theme 'Protecting Heritages in the Blue Economy”.
While speaking on the course 'Inclusivity & Gender Equality: Experience of Female Seafarers In Nigeria' encourages young participants especially girls to follow her passion as a Seafarer, that the shipping industry holds numerous and rewarding opportunities for participants, especially women.
She admonished the young participants of MWP Initiative to have children literature on the blue economy to improve the awareness about the industry in the minds of young people, thereby increasing the number of entrants that will become Marine Engineers, Ship Captains, Nautical Scientists, among others.
On the issue of gender equality she said "Be kind to every woman that do everything humanly possible"
"For the men we are not dragging space with you as women, she goes there to make money and go happy"
She said only 2% of the global seafaring workforce are women,
She therefore emphasized the need for equity and balance in the industry even as she inspired the participants with the profiles of several successful Nigerian female seafarers.
"Once you are on board the ship men start berating you, you don't have the strength why are you here? So we are changing the narrative.
"Men are very distractive and annoying when women are on board the ship."
The FE SAN representative confirmed that chefs on board the ship are also Seafarers.
She added that marriage should not be an hindrance to been a Seafarer.
Also, the President General of MWUN/Deputy President Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju fnli, delivered a paper presentation on ‘The Struggle and Strides of The Union in Nigeria’s Blue Economy’ stressed that there has been a decline in number of people developing careers in the maritime section globally especially in seafaring.
Adeyanju, ably represented by the Union’s Deputy Secretary General, Comrade Oniha Erazua, stressed that there has been a decline in number of people developing careers in the maritime sector globally, especially in seafaring.
“There is a decrease in seafarers, dockworkers, among other aspects of maritime. This is beautiful catch-them-young initiative is bound to stimulate interest in the sector. As someone who has spent several years in the sector, I can confidently say that a career in shipping and other aspects of maritime will be gratifying.”
Adeyanju said that the shipping branch of MWUN recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with shipping agencies that places the sector’s workers minimum wage bracket at N200,000.
Stressing that this further emphasizes the high reward for practitioners in the maritime sector as young people can be inspired by this development, the unionist challenged participants to not only write stories to promote the sector but also consider its multiple career opportunities.
Adeyanju commended the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and Nigerian Shippers’ Council, NSC, for playing a strategic role in signing the agreement.
On her part, the Convener/ Project Coordinator, MWP Bootcamp, Ezinne Azunna, disclosed that the MWP is set to release 3 volumes of compendiums of short stories written by participants in the first two editions of the bootcamp.
“The 2024 MWP theme is ‘Protecting Heritages in the Blue Economy’ and it is pertinent at a time when sustainability is core. One of the things we target at the MWP bootcamp is to address the challenge of sea blindness.”
“An average Nigerian doesn’t know about the maritime industry and this plays a role in the nation’s inability to fully harness the potentials of the blue economy. This project would also grow and capture the interest of young people to become fascinated about the industry.
Yewande Obayelu, an Environmental Specialist & Advocate for Sustainable Practices of National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, during her course called for immediate report of incidents to NOSDRA that have environmental impacts to the relevant authorities for prompt response.
She said participants should engage in Environmental Advocacy and ensuring a healthy marine environment is essential to the well being of future generation
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