In the face of recent retrenchment of workforce, as well as the growing anxiety over job insecurity at the ports, workers in the maritime sector have called on the Federal Government to expedite action on the renewal of licences for terminal operators.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s unemployment rate stood at 5.3 percent in the first quarter of 2024, representing a third consecutive increase since the second quarter of 2023.
According to findings, there are indications that thousands of workers in the maritime sector might lose their jobs, due to the non-renewal of licences for terminal operators.
At the Tin Can Island port in Lagos, the story is not different, as a section of the terminal which normally contains about 2,000 containers, was empty.
At a press briefing in Lagos, leaders of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporation and Government owned Companies, emphasised the importance of having the port to run optimally.