Nigeria accounts for less than 2.3 percent of the global seafaring workforce, with only about 6,000 registered sailors out of the 1.9 million seafarers worldwide—a figure maritime experts say is alarmingly low for a country with such vast coastal potential.
This concern was raised by Capt. Rasheed Onakoya of the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM) during the association’s quarterly lecture. He stressed that only deliberate government intervention, targeted policies, and upgraded training institutions can reverse the nation’s declining presence in global maritime labour.
Onakoya explained that, globally, there are now more seafarers than available ships, a shift that has created increased employment opportunities. However, Nigeria risks being sidelined because its maritime education and certification systems are not yet aligned with international best practices required to compete in the global market.
He reiterated:
“Nigeria currently records less than 2.3 percent of global seafarers, with only 6,000 registered sailors out of the 1.9 million listed worldwide.”
While noting that even developed nations are grappling with similar shortages, he emphasized that Asian countries are aggressively closing the gap, expanding academies, upgrading training standards, and preparing their youths for global maritime careers. Nigeria, he warned, must not lag behind—especially as seafaring offers a powerful avenue for tackling the nation’s unemployment crisis.
Onakoya further lamented the challenges Nigerian seafarers face: poor working conditions, delayed or underpaid wages, limited access to medical care, and arbitrary dismissals. These conditions, he said, undermine not only the dignity of seafarers but also their vital contributions to national development and economic growth.