Hadiza Bala Usman, the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, welcomed the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency for launching the ‘On Board with Gender Equality‘ campaign, in lights of this years Seafarers Day Celebration.
NIMASA’s Director General, Mr Peter Dakuku called his wife, the First Lady, Dr. Aisha Buhari, to lead the campaign in support of women participation in the shipping industry.
As Hadiza Bala Usman reported
With such a programme in place, NIMASA is striving to ensure a gender equality balance in the nation’s maritime Industry.
Speaking through the Executive Director, Marine and Operations of the Authority, Dr. Sekonte Davis, Hadiza Bala Usman highlighted that gender imbalance is a global problem, very obvious in the maritime sector.
He continued stating that gender imbalance is not a problem only in Africa, but also continental due to traditional and religious practices which exclude women from certain career opportunities, quoting that
We should go past these sentiments and give our citizens irrespective of gender the best opportunities that life offers them
Hadiza Bala Usman noted that NPA provides women with maternity leave 16 weeks as against 12 weeks while nursing mothers are also allowed to report to duty one hour after official resumption time and closes one hour before closing as part of encouraging Women. In the meantime, the Authority had also commissioned a Crèche Facility for nursing mothers.
We must constantly remind ourselves that women matter and that when we build women, we build humanity.
During the event, Mr. Dakuku said that the Agency will continue pursuing policies and programmes on Gender Equality and Empowerment of women in the Maritime Sector, adding that the Agency will provide sustainable policies that will ensure equal and fair employment opportunities for both male and female Seafarers.
Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council, Alhaji Hassan Bello concluded
It is important to create an enabling environment for Women to thrive in seafaring profession, guarantying adequate information, pay equality, and the prohibition of Sexual harassment.
