The signing ceremony between SACFEA and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria was organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and with the support of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, which is coming after 20 years of struggle.

Speaking during the document signing ceremony on Saturday in Lagos, the President of SACFEA, Mrs Boma Alabi (SAN), noted that the new minimum conditions of service for workers under shipping places would be the highest in any industry across the nation.

“The most significant thing is that in setting a minimum standard for the shipping industry, we have gone above and beyond any other industry in Nigeria. The national minimum wage is N70,000 and we know what it took to get the Federal Government to get to that point.

“By the agreement we have signed today, our minimum wage is N200,000. It is almost triple the national minimum wage,” she said.

She said that while the workers were asking for N160,000, it is important to note that the employers went above and beyond to do N200,000, “because they understand the situation in the country and want to ensure that everyone is happy. We don’t just want the workers to live, but to work and save for their future,”

Alabi expressed optimism that the new agreement would assist the nation’s blue economy growth via uniformity with the minimum standards and enhanced productivity and efficiency.

“With minimum standards, we would no longer have charlatans in the system. We are also looking at the developments in other parts of the world to improve the practice in Nigeria.

“One of the challenges in the country is the cost of doing business. This development will enable us to reduce the cost of doing business and compete favorably,” she added