Adeyanju To Oyetola : Revamping National Shipping Line Without Payment Of Disengaged Seafarers’ Will Face Hurdles

As Nigeria celebrated the 2026 Workers’ Day, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, Deputy President Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has highlighted major obstacles to relaunching a new national shipping line for indigenous operators.

Adeyanju, the immediate past President-General of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and Vice President of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) Global gave the warning while speaking to journalists in Abuja on Friday.

The maritime expert urged Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, to prioritize settling long-overdue pensions for aged seafarers disengaged after the liquidation of the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL).

Adeyanju stressed that any attempt to float a new carrier would be unjustifiable and fraught with difficulties while these pioneers remain unpaid, despite completing a verification exercise in Lagos two years ago and existing court judgments in their favor.

He noted that “There is no arrangement you can put in place to float a new shipping line when those who pioneered the profession and served in the old national carrier have not been settled,” he declared. “Let the government pay them what belongs to them.”

With a committee already in place and the issue before the minister, Adeyanju called for urgent intervention, drawing parallels to the successful resolution of dockworkers’ entitlements.

He warned that delays could draw scrutiny from the ITF, as global labour bodies monitor industrial justice.

Beyond pensions, Adeyanju renewed demands for restoring onboard gangway security and tally clerks at ports to curb cargo under-declaration and revenue leakages. He also addressed broader worker struggles, noting how inflation and fuel costs have eroded wages, leaving many unable to afford basics.