The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA) has partnered with the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) to strengthen mental health awareness and promote the wellbeing of Nigerian seafarers and maritime cadets.
The partnership was formalised on Monday through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the opening of a three-day Seafarers’ and Cadets’ Wellbeing Awareness and Training of Trainers Programme in Lagos.
The programme, held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Victoria Island, focused on stress management, early intervention and coping strategies for maritime workers.
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Speaking at the opening ceremony, NIMASA’s Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Jibril Abba, said the initiative would equip maritime educators, agency officials and labour union representatives with the skills to identify and manage stress among seafarers.
Abba, who spoke on behalf of the Director-General of NIMASA, said the mental health challenges associated with working at sea had not received adequate attention compared with the technical training required for safe ship operations.
He identified extended working hours, irregular sleep patterns, prolonged separation from families, multicultural crews and difficult working conditions as factors that could expose seafarers to chronic stress, anxiety, depression, burnout and substance misuse.
Citing a 2019 study commissioned by the ITF in collaboration with Yale University, Abba said one in four seafarers surveyed showed signs of depression, while approximately one in six exhibited signs of anxiety.
He noted that the COVID-19 crew-change crisis had further aggravated the challenges facing maritime workers.
“Seafarers’ mental wellbeing is essential to maritime safety, while NIMASA has a responsibility under the Merchant Shipping Act 2007 and the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, as amended, to protect the occupational health, safety and welfare of maritime workers,” Abba said.
Demonstrate Competence
He explained that the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers also required seafarers to demonstrate competence in caring for people on board, including recognising signs of distress and knowing where to seek assistance.
Abba said the training would provide participants with practical knowledge to identify stress early, manage its effects and offer psychological first aid when necessary.
He urged participants to share the knowledge gained during the training with cadets and seafarers in their respective institutions, offices and vessels.
The MoU, he said, would establish a framework for training and capacity-building for faculty members of Maritime Education and Training Institutions and NIMASA officers, while facilitating the integration of wellbeing education into maritime training curricula.
Abba disclosed that the programme would begin in Lagos before being extended to Port Harcourt, with support from the ITF, to reach more maritime training institutions across Nigeria.
He noted that NIMASA would issue an appropriate Marine Notice after the training of faculty members to make the wellbeing 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.
The initiative brings together maritime regulators, international labour representatives, maritime unions and training institutions to strengthen awareness of mental health and improve support for seafarers and cadets.
