By Our Reporter
The celebration of the annual event of International Women’s Day on March 8 according to the Vatican News, comes as a reminder that every woman is a gift ‘’ to be treasured and empowered’’.
The United Nations, UN, under the close watch of Antonio Gutteres, had put the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day celebration as a call for action that can unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all. Central to this vision is empowering ‘’the next generation young women and adolescent girls -as analysts for change’’.
This year’s event, according to a top official of the UN, marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform Action, for Women’s and girl’s rights. Indeed, since 1995, the call for gender equality in the society has increased and many voices from various parts of the world have joined this call.
There is no area of the world economy that women involvement has been pronounced in the recent years than in the global Maritime industry. In Nigeria and other maritime nations, ‘’there are women Seafarers running operations in various categories of vessels, ocean going vessels, oil and gas tankers, barges and tug-boats as well as operating high -tech cranes at port terminals competing effectively with their men folks.
Many believes that women have effectively broken the jinx of male dominance in all areas of operations both in administration of the ports management and as Captains of industries in the global maritime industry.
This may have informed why the International Maritime Organization, IMO, a maritime agency of the UN, under the Leadership of Arsenio Dominguez, had held a special event at the Headquarters in London, United Kingdom, UK, on March 7, 2025 , The IMO Secretary General, Dominguez, was said to have taken advantage of the opportunity provided by the event to emphasize the role of institutions and allies in tackling gender bias , including through effective policies and practices.
The IMO helmsman had said that, ’there is a lot more that institutions can do in bringing down the barriers and continue to highlighted our role in gender equality.
Given the appointment of women into various Management positions at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, and Nigerian Inland Water Ways Authority, NIWA, and even going to the extent of playing key roles in the nations shipping industry and owning terminals at the country’s seaports may have encouraged Dayo Mobereola, Director General , NIMASA, and other captains of the industry to celebrate women in maritime in Nigeria.
The NIMASA, Chief Executive Officer, CEO, who had commended the contributions of the women to the development of Nigeria’s maritime sector, was enthused at the several women maritime Associations which had sent Representatives to this year’s celebration at the IMO Headquarters in London, with the theme Safe Horizons: Women Shaping the Future of Maritime Safety. Among the women maritime Associations that were said to have participated fully in the event were Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association, WISTA, Women in Maritime, WIMA, Women in Logistics and Transport, WILAT, and Women in Maritime West and Central Africa, WIMOWCA, among others.
Mobereola, the NIMASA Chief Executive Officer, CEO, who was may have taken a cue from the global maritime body ‘’to celebrate and honour the invaluable contributions to the nation’s maritime development said to have been represented at the IMO, Headquarters event by Jibri Abba, Executive Director, Labour and Cabotage Services.
The NIMASA, executive Director who spoke on the same Platform with the IMO Secretary General may have spoken the mind of Mobereola, the agency spokesperson when he said ‘’let me seize this opportunity to recognize and applaud the incredible achievements of women in the nation’s maritime industry’’, stressing that ‘’from Seafarers, ship Captains to engineers and port operations, as well as other maritime professionals, women are trail blazers and have played pivotal in shaping the nation’s maritime industry and driven innovation and progress’’.
He may have gladdened the heart of women maritime operators when he stated that ‘’their dedications, resilience and expertise have not only enriched their respective countries’ maritime industry but also inspire a future generation of women to pursue careers in maritime’’.
Notwithstanding that the speech that was said to have been delivered at the IMO Headquarters at the International Women’s Day Celebration March 8, 2025, by Abba, Executive Director, Maritime and Cabotage Services, who was said to have represented the NIMASA boss at the London ceremony, Edwad Osagie, an Assistant Director and Head of the agency’s Public Relations Unit, had alluded to his remarks on his official X handle, where he had re-echoed ‘’the invaluable contributions of women in the nation’s maritime industry and beyond’’.
He had recalled that he stated in his X -Handle that together ‘’we must accelerate towards a more sustainable, diverse and equitable future for all to shape the future of the sector that would drive growth innovation and inclusivity’’.
Mrs. Olumide Odusanya, NIMASA, Director of Financial Services had appreciated the Leadership of IMO, for creating an inclusive and supportive environment to recognize women in maritime in line with’’ the provisions of the UN, Sustainable Goal 5, which is Gender Equality’’.
She had said that women effective participation in the nation’s maritime industry and beyond the shores of the country stressing that the the gender gap, which the SDG Goal 5- Gender Equality which had been the internal quest of the women folks over the years,should be implemented to the later.
She may not have been satisfied with the progress that had been by the women folks so far in the nation’s maritime industry but still believes that they have a long way to go towards a achieving relative parity. She had stopped short at saying that she is looking forward to a day when a Nigerian woman will be appointed to head the nation’s maritime industries that would give them room to take decisions concerning the sector.
Though no woman had attended the height of heading any of the nation’s maritime agencies , in the recent time, Olarewanju Shittu, former President Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, believes that all hopes are not lost as he had praised Princess Vicky Haastrup, Chairman, ENL Consortium, operators of terminals C and D, at the Lagos Port Complex , and who incidentally was also the Chairman of Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria, STOAN, for her contributions to the country’s maritime industry development.
For the former ANLCA, president to have singled out Mrs. Haastrup, Chairman, ENL Consortium, over her contributions to the growth of the nation’s maritime confirms what Mobereola, the NIMASA boss, had said that Women had made appreciable impact to the growth of the Nigerian’s maritime industry as obtained in other parts of the world.
There are several of such other Mrs. Haastrups in the nation’s maritime industry like Wumi Eniola Jegede, Aisha Ali-Ibrahim , Margret Orakuusi and several others who are role models, who are still making invaluable contributions in the nation’s maritime sector in their own rights.
