By Stephen Ubanna
Ahead of the November/December, 2025, International Maritime Organization, IMO, a maritime agency of the United Nations, UN, elections in Landon, United Kingdom, UK, into the various Categories of the agency Council, Nigeria had attended the 187-member nations of the International Labour Organization, ILO, ‘’special Tripartite Meeting’’ held in Geneva, Switzerland recently.
.The Special Tripartite Committee Meeting, according to an informed source comprises of representatives from the member countries that had endorsed the IMO, Maritime Labour Convention, MLC 2006, Convention, codes mostly from Maritime Administrations.
It would be recalled that Nigeria had domesticated some Conventions of the IMO, which Oyetola, the minister of marine and blue economy, had deposited at the UK, Secretariat of the Organization and endorsed eight Codes of the MLC, 2006.
The MLC, 2006, amendments that was said to have been endorsed by the Nigerian Government currently being implemented by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety agency, NIMASA, under the close watch of Dayo Mobereola, included ‘’shore leave, hours of rest’’ and other codes related ‘’to the protection of Seafarers against discrimination, identification of Seafarers as key workers in the global maritime industry, enhanced access to shore based welfare for Seafarers, and the code on shipboard violence, harassment and bullying, accommodation and recreational facilities on board’’.
The ILO Tripartite Committee meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, was said to have ‘’focused on ‘’ensuring consistency between the MLC and the Convention on the Facilitation of International Marine Traffic 1665, regarding shore leave, hours of rest, and financial security of seafarers and its implementation’’.
An insider had confirmed the Magazine that the ILO special Tripartite Committee M discussions at the Geneva meeting which was said to have been attended by Mobereola, the NIMASA, Director General, who had represented Adegboyega Oyetola, a former governor of Osun state and now minister of marine and blue economy, and other Executive Officers, CEO, of other Maritime Administrations across the world was said to have also centered on ‘’ reviewing the Convention’s standards’’.
The ILO, special Triartitee Committee was said to have equally considered the urgency of convening of a Joint ILO/IMO, Tripartite Working Group as a solution ‘’to address Seafarers issues and the human element on seafarers’ hours of work and rest’’ at the Geneva Meeting.
Oyetola, a former governor of Osun state governor, and now minister of marine and blue economy, who was said to have led Nigeria’s delegation to the 5th ILO, Special Tripartite Committee Meeting may have taken advantage of the opportunity provided at the ILO Tripartite Meeting to emphasize Nigeria’s commitment ‘’to the welfare, rights and protection of seafarers’’.
The minister who spoke through Mobereola, the NIMASA, Director General, had commended the ILO, Leadership ‘’for steering dialogue on maritime labour standards’’. The NIMASA, CEO, may have further spoken the mind of the Geneva Meeting, when he ‘’reinforced the country’s bid for election ‘’to Category C of the IMO Council during the upcoming elections’’ scheduled for November and December,2025.
Industry operators who spoke to The Value News on condition of anonymity disclosed that ‘’this is the very first time in international circles, that Nigeria is widening the scope of its campaign to engage strategically with relevant international maritime agencies to support the country’s bid for the IMO Category C, Seat’’.
The NIMASA, helmsman who was said to have told participants at the ILO special Tripartite Meeting at Geneva that ‘’Nigeria’s inclusion in the IMO Category C, this time around would go a long way ‘’to strengthen Africa’s representation and voice in shaping international maritime policies that will promote fair labour practices, environmental sustainability and technical cooperation’’. He is optimistic going by the level of work that had been done to modernize and improve the security situations at the nation’s seaports, domestication of IMO Conventions , which many maritime nations are still finding it difficult to do and endorsement of eight codes of the MLC2006, Nigeria will get all the desired support from other maritime nations , both within the African Continent and outside the shores of the Continent to win the IMO Category C Seat. ’’. Vintage Oyetola.
