By Josephine Agbonkhese

As the global maritime community celebrates this year’s Day of the Seafarers marked yearly on 25th of June, the Women in Maritime and Energy (WIME) Awards has advocated the encouragement of the growth of female practitioners in the profession.

“The invaluable contributions of seafarers in driving international trade cannot be over emphasised.

“We could recall what happened during the COVID-19 era where many seafarers were trapped. Yet, goods and services were shipped to their destinations.

“That is to show that these heros at sea deserve continuous improvement of their working conditions as the lifeblood of international trade,” Chairperson, Board of Women in Maritime and Energy (WIME) Awards, Mrs Chizoba Anyika, said.

Anyika, however, emphasised the invaluable contribution of women to the profession, reiterating that it cannot be over sung as only then can the input of seafarers to international trade be better maximised.

“Seafarers are the enablers of the economy. A seafarer is not defined by the many waters she has fared but in the many storms she has overcome,” she said.

She went on: “On this day therefore, WIME supports seafarers allover the world in their mission by acknowledging, recognising and decorating the extraordinary females in the profession who keep our seas safe and ensure goods and services reach the consumers.

“There is, however, a significant gap in female representation in the profession. We call on relevant policies to be put in place to make the profession attractive to women.

“We also commend the Director General/CEO, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, for championing the course of the seafarers by enhancing ship surveys, wreck removal, continuous capacity development, replacement of foreign seafarers with indigenous ones, training and retraining and upskilling of seafarers amongst others.”