SEAFRERS DAY 2025: MWUN PRESIDENT-GENERAL BUNU PROMISES TO CHAMPION SEAFARERS’ WELFARE
SEAFRERS DAY 2025: MWUN PRESIDENT-GENERAL BUNU PROMISES TO CHAMPION SEAFARERS’ WELFARE
By Frank Odinukaeze
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) joined the global maritime community to commemorate this year’s Day of the Seafarer with renewed calls for reforms to uplift Nigerian seafarers.
Speaking at the 2025 celebration held in Port Harcourt, the President-General of MWUN, Comrade Francis Bunu Abi, vowed to intensify advocacy for improved welfare, training, and documentation processes for Nigerian seafarers.
Bunu, a seasoned sailor and respected labour leader from Delta State, emphasized the persistent challenges faced by seafarers, particularly the bureaucratic hurdles involved in obtaining mandatory sailing and certification documents through the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). He noted that these difficulties continue to hinder the career progress of thousands of Nigerian cadets.
“It is disheartening that many graduates from the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, remain unemployed and undocumented due to lack of proper certification and sea-time experience,” Bunu said. “This situation must change, and MWUN under my leadership will engage all relevant stakeholders to address it.”
He also expressed deep concern over the deteriorating state of maritime training institutions in Nigeria, pointing out that the absence of functional training vessels has left many cadets idle and unprepared for global maritime service.
Bunu extended his appreciation to government agencies, industry stakeholders, captains of industry, and international dignitaries who participated in the Port Harcourt event, describing their presence as a show of solidarity with Nigerian seafarers.
The Day of the Seafarer is an annual event recognized globally to acknowledge the critical role seafarers play in international trade and economic development. This year’s celebration in Nigeria served as a rallying point for renewed commitment to the development and protection of the country’s maritime workforce.
Media Head of the Union,Comrade John Kennedy Ikemefuna,made this known today in a press statement.
