CGC Adeniyi Calls for Unified Maritime Beat Association for greater Impacts
....urges agencies to prioritise Welfare of Maritime Journalists
Bisi Akingbade
Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has called on beat associations in the maritime media to come together under one umbrella body in order to make greater impact in the industry, even as he also enjoined heads of maritime parastatals to prioritize the welfare of journalists covering the sector.
CGC Adeniyi speaking during an event organised in his honour at the Airport Hotel in Lagos on Thursday, where he was awarded the Iconic Maritime Personality of the Year 2024, Adeniyi emphasized the importance of improving the lives of maritime journalists as the sector prospers and players advance.
He said the NCS could do a lot of things for the maritime journalists only if they could speak with one voice.
Adeniyi expressed concern over the proliferation of beat associations in maritime media practice and multiple associations in the clearing and forwarding business.
He advocated for prioritizing the welfare of maritime journalists, pointing out that as entrepreneurs in the industry grow, the welfare of journalists should also be a focus for all agencies they report on.
Highlighting his journey from a two-star public relations officer to Comptroller General, Adeniyi underscored the mutual support between journalists and the customs service.
He urged journalists to develop initiatives to drive their welfare programs, suggesting ideas such as insurance cover and housing schemes for journalists in the maritime sector.
He said "We have a lots for you in customs and we've been trying to do some by bit. But there is also a lot more that you can do by yourselves. You must now begin to see how you can come up with initiatives that would help to drive your welfare programs."
"Yes you organize programmes for agencies in the industry I have not seen programmes that you are organising for yourselves"
"Let's work on initiatives about your welfare. Can we think for example, of an insurance cover for journalists that are practicing in the maritime industry. This is something that you can start, you can call for assistance and this is one thing that I believe I can speak to other heads of agencies in maritime industry for us to join hands with you and look into the issues of welfare only if you come together as a united front."
"Is it possible that when Maritime reporters are reporting the beat that they should also be house owners by themselves. Can it be that if journalists in the Maritime sector come together with a scheme that will allow them to own individual houses." CGC said.
Adeniyi described his award as significant, noting that it was the first time in the maritime industry's history that all maritime journalists formed a united front to award a single stakeholder.
He encouraged journalists to collapse multiple associations into one unified body, emphasizing the impact of a united front in protecting the interests of the maritime industry.
Adeniyi also called on the freight forwarding practitioners, drawing parallels between their story and that of maritime journalists. He called on freight forwarders and licensed customs agents to unify under one umbrella to gain the respect of policymakers. He challenged industry leaders, such as Prince Olayiwola Shittu and Alhaji Hakeem Olanrewaju, to work towards uniting associations and speaking with a single voice in the maritime industry.
