Dock Workers Now Pensionable, Deserve Greater Recognition – Former MWUN President Adewale Adeyanju

Dock Workers Now Pensionable, Deserve Greater Recognition – Former MWUN President Adewale Adeyanju

Comrade Adewale Adeyanju,Former President General,MWUN,and Deputy President NLC

By Frank Odinukaeze

The immediate past President-General of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and current Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, has called for greater government attention to the welfare, pension, and gratuity of Nigerian dock workers, describing them as “heroes who rebuilt a once neglected industry.”

Speaking in an interview with journalists at the 2025 Dock Workers’ Day celebration held at Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, Adeyanju reflected on the transformation of the dock labour sector from what he termed a “casualised orphanage” to a structured, pensionable workforce that now contributes significantly to Nigeria’s economy.

“What you are seeing today is the celebration of orphans of the past,” he said. “There was a time when dock workers had no employers taking care of them. We were not pensionable, and anyone could be picked off the street to work at the ports. But today, we have recognition. We are now celebrated as fruitful workers who have contributed immensely to the growth of our economy.”

Adeyanju praised the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and terminal operators for their roles in improving dockworkers’ welfare since the 2006 port concession reforms, which initially sparked fear among workers.

“In 2006, when terminal operators came in as concessionaires, dock workers had lost hope. But to God be the glory, with the help of NIMASA and the port authorities, we now have a collective bargaining agreement between the union, terminal operators, and NIMASA, who midwifed the process. That’s why we need to be celebrated,” he said.

On the issue of port safety, Adeyanju commended recent improvements but stressed that more needed to be done to ensure a safer working environment across terminals.

“There is an element of improvement in safety, and accidents have reduced due to our proactive engagement with terminal operators. But safety must remain a top priority. When you lose one worker, you don’t just lose a person — you lose an entire family’s livelihood,” he cautioned.

He urged NIMASA to strengthen enforcement of safety and insurance compliance among employers, noting that some companies under insure or fail to insure a portion of their workforce.

“If you inspect their files, you’ll see that out of 300 workers, sometimes only 150 are insured. NIMASA should intensify efforts to close these gaps,” he added.

Adeyanju described NIMASA as “the best regulating agency” in the maritime labour space, crediting the agency for improving dockworkers’ welfare and ensuring collective agreements are respected.

“NIMASA has been regulating us over the years and doing their best. They have improved tremendously in ensuring our rights are protected,” he said.

Reflecting on his tenure and life after leading MWUN, Adeyanju expressed satisfaction with the progress made and confidence in his successors.

“I don’t have any regrets. I made sure we had a good successor. My eyes are open, and I am okay. What we need now is to keep pushing for better pensions, gratuity, and safety. A dock worker should not retire poor,” he concluded