New NIMASA e-platform set to revolutionise maritime workforce management
Maureen Aguta
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) says its newly launched Maritime Labour E-Platform will significantly enhance the country’s maritime competitiveness by modernizing the registration, verification, and management of seafarers and dockworkers.
At a stakeholders’ sensitization workshop held in Lagos, the Agency walked participants through practical demonstrations on how to use the portal for registration, identity verification, and issuance of biometric identity cards. The hands-on session also highlighted cybersecurity safeguards, user-training plans, and a phased rollout strategy to ensure seamless nationwide adoption.
Speaking at the event, NIMASA’s Executive Director for Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr. Jibril Abba, said the platform represents a major step in Nigeria’s digital transition for maritime labour administration.
“Our digital transformation is underway,” he said. “This year, we launched the Maritime Labour E-Platform, building on the success of the 2022 dockworkers registration exercise. It is a modern, integrated system for registering and verifying seafarers, dockworkers, employers, and other stakeholders.”
Represented by the Director of Maritime Labour Services, Mr. Ibrahim Umar Sidi, Abba explained that centralizing registration and issuing secure biometric ID cards would eliminate paperwork, accelerate processing, and provide reliable real-time data. These capabilities, he noted, would help Nigeria better fulfil its obligations under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006 while strengthening the country’s competitiveness in the global Blue Economy.
He added that the initiative aligns directly with the Agency’s statutory mandate.
“This platform fulfils our responsibility 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,” he said. “It also supports our obligations under the MLC 2006 — often referred to as the Seafarers’ Bill of Rights — for fair working conditions, health protection, and social security.”
The Maritime Labour E-Platform was formally unveiled by the Federal Government in June during the 2025 Day of the Seafarer commemoration in Port Harcourt, where the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, described it as “a transformative tool for labour administration.”
According to NIMASA, the digital solution is part of broader efforts to create a smarter, more transparent, and more efficient maritime ecosystem—one that positions Nigerian seafarers and dockworkers to compete more effectively in the international maritime arena.