Lagos – Mr Patrick Akpobolokemi, the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), on Tuesday stressed the importance of training on maritime labour inspection.

Akpobolokemi made the observation at the opening ceremony of a five-day training on Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) in Lagos.

He was represented by Capt. Ezekiel Agaba, his Executive Director on Maritime Safety.

Akpobolokemi said that the training should be done in accordance with the rights enshrined in the convention.

He said that the training required that inspectors who were expected to carry out flag and port state control should be adequately trained.

“The Maritime Labour Convention training which takes off today is one of the activities approved by the agency’s management in August, 2013.

“It is also necessary to achieve the objectives of a uniform implementation of flag and port state control and

to ensure ongoing compliance at port state levels,” the director general said.

He said that the training was to adequately prepare the officers to carry out the onboard port and flag state inspections.

“It would also help the officers to submit reports to MLS department for certification as well as ILO mandatory reports,” Akpobolokemi.

In his presentation, Agaba said that the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 was applicable onboard local and international vessels.

He said that the nation ratified the convention on June 18, 2013.

Agaba said that the ratification enabled NIMASA to keep faith with the implementation of its provisions.

“Some of the land mark achievements by NIMASA include sensitisation of the stakeholders in the maritime industry by facilitating the development of the National Legal provision on the convention.

“Design of the relevant certificates and documents on the MLC, 2006.

“Participation and the amendment of the code relating to regulation 2.5 on repatriation and regulation of A4.2 on ship owners’ liability,” Agaba said.

He said that the convention would be coming into force by June 18, adding that training was not critical, but crucial.

Also speaking, Mrs Juliana Gunwa, Director Maritime Labour Service, said that there was the need for competent authority to adopt effective and well-coordinated system for regular inspections.

“As we prepare to usher into force the MLC in June, I wish to remind all of us that the real work begins immediately.

“We must not relent in our efforts towards improving the living and working conditions of our seafarers and the quality of our flag and port state inspections,” Gunwa said.