The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has expressed confidence that its new Maritime Labour E-Platform will significantly enhance efficiency and global competitiveness in the country’s maritime sector.

At a sensitisation workshop held in Lagos, users were taken through practical demonstrations and interactive sessions on how to register, verify, and issue identity cards to seafarers and dockworkers via the portal.

According to a statement by the agency’s Deputy Director/Head of Public Relations, Osagie Edward, the training covered key support measures such as cybersecurity, phased rollout plans, and onboarding procedures to ensure smooth adoption.

NIMASA’s Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr. Jibril Abba, represented by the Director of Maritime Labour Services, Mr. Ibrahim Umar Sidi, highlighted the platform’s role in driving digital transformation within the industry.

“Our digital transformation is underway. This year we launched the Maritime Labour E-Platform, building on our 2022 dockworkers registration success. It is a modern, integrated system for registering and verifying seafarers, dockworkers, employers, and other stakeholders,” he said.

He explained that by centralising registration and issuing secure biometric identity cards, the platform reduces paperwork, accelerates processing, and provides reliable real-time data. This, he noted, strengthens compliance with the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006 and enhances Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global Blue Economy.

Abba also emphasised that the initiative aligns with NIMASA’s statutory responsibilities.
“It fulfils our mandate under Section 27(1)(a) of the NIMASA Act 2007, which requires us to document and maintain a register of every maritime worker and operator. It also aligns with our obligations under the MLC 2006, often called the ‘Seafarers’ Bill of Rights’ for promoting fair working conditions, health protections and social security,” he said.

The Federal Government had earlier launched the Maritime Labour E-Platform during the 2025 Day of the Seafarer celebration in Port Harcourt.

At the event, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegoboyega Oyetola, described the platform as a transformative tool for maritime labour administration and a key step toward building a smarter, more transparent and efficient maritime sector.