In articulating the imperatives of maritime safety in Nigeria, we will examine leadership, attitude, and enforcement of regulations, maritime education and safety culture.
Leadership
Leadership is vital in matters relating to maritime safety. It must be emphasised that the very essence of leadership in the maritime industry is vision. It is leadership’s strategic vision that will influence people towards great safety performance. An organisation that is blessed with a visionary leader will easily identify an accident trajectory and will take appropriate steps to prevent accident from occurring.
In order to actualise safety vision in the short and medium terms, ship owners/operators and other stakeholders in Nigeria’s maritime industry must focus on best practices for restructuring with a view to improving productivity. Leadership must evolve ways of acquiring new talents and skills and ensure training is sustained in line with the dictates of ISM Codes. Also, in order to compete favourably and be relevant internationally, ship owners/operators must explore ways of accessing funds, while diversifying into new markets. Leadership must embrace technology and encourage maritime research towards zero emission, operate energy-efficient vessels, and ensure regular maintenance schedules are strictly observed. Leadership must possess the capacity to balance between the economic goals and safety within the organisation.
Attitude
Attitude of workers cannot be observed but can be inferred by behaviour of individuals. Poor attitude to work in general and safety in particular is of great concern to stakeholders in the maritime industry and indeed the nation. Individuals have allowed selfish interest to override responsibilities given to them by the government and people of the country. Government property is generally handled with neglect and lack of accountability. Seafarers at sea occasionally demonstrate neglect and nonchalant attitude, while shore-based staffs are more concerned with award of contract and supplies.
READ ALSO: Making Nigeria’s maritime sector sustainable and greener
To stem the trend of negative attitude to maritime safety, it is advisable that those charged with the responsibility of sustaining safety at the state and federal levels are fair and trustworthy. It is only then that ship owners and operators can be consistent with their response towards safety goals and objectives. Additionally, management must be committed to safety culture by ensuring that established safety procedures are followed and that reports of accidents including near misses are adequately reported.
Maritime education
Maritime education is a critical factor for improving the quality of human resources in general and in particular for developing new skills, cultural values and behavioural pattern needed for a better understanding of the sea. With ship technology changing rapidly, and the world becoming increasingly knowledge-based, maritime education has emerged as a key determinant in shaping an understanding of the oceans and its potentials in pursuit of our national interest. Since the general level of educational attainment in a nation is an implicit indication of its technological capability, then the maritime industry which is a component of the Nigerian system must also evolve a maritime education strategy that emphasises critical thinking, leadership, cultural awareness, innovation and adaptability.
The newly established Nigeria Maritime University and the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, must collaborate to ensure that certification of crews is harmonised to produce graduates who are pro-industry. One thing maritime education must do is to produce seafarers who are capable of understanding that our national maritime strength depends on the emergence of Nigeria as a great maritime hub in Africa. In terms of ultimate outcomes, maritime education must contribute directly to Nigeria’s shipping in such a manner that: (a) attracts and retains Nigerians imbued with a commitment to selfless service and capable of becoming critical thinkers and experts in the safety profession; (b) values and develops seafarers and shore-based staff who are of strong moral character and integrity, possess absolute sense of personal honour, exhibit physical and moral courage, and act ethically as a matter of instinct; (c) is innovative and bold in decision making but able to conduct risk assessment; (d) is able to sustain and advance technological advantage.
Safety culture
Shipping companies must have and sustain an effective safety culture. The neglect of cultural dimension to safety is exacerbated by the current wave of economic downturn as firms are established first to make profit. An effective safety culture will support a maritime environment that encourages and requires all ship owners and operators to consider their own and others’ safety. In order to develop safety culture in the maritime industry, there must be commitment from management, there must be a means to measure and monitor current performance and behaviour, while modifying the behaviour of personnel. In modifying the behaviour of personnel, individuals must believe in safety, think safety and be committed to safety. All of these will require strong leadership and commitment from top of the organisation to ensure that a strong safety culture permeates the whole organisation.
Enforcement of maritime safety regulations
There are several organisations that can influence safety regulations in the marine industry in Nigeria. However, NIMASA is the apex authority charged by an Act of parliament to ensure maritime safety in Nigeria. Consequently, NIMASA must establish that it has the capacity to evolve control mechanism that will enable safety in the fragmented marine industry. It is the responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure international safety regulations such as the Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), and other international regulations are domesticated by an Act of parliament and are complied with. This is because no single organisation can enforce safety regulation in the maritime industry.
In enforcing maritime safety regulations in Nigeria, all stakeholders must possess the knowledge of safety regulations, organise the knowledge in a manner that makes it suitable for a particular situation, and activate relevant knowledge in context. This can be achieved through a collaborative effort between NIMASA and all maritime stakeholders.
Summary
In summary, an overview of human factor-related marine accidents reveals that maritime accident reporting culture is weak in most developing countries, including Nigeria. Effective reporting mechanism will enable timely and accurate reporting of accidents and casualties. There are many contributing factors to maritime safety out of which technology, environment and organisational behaviour were examined. These factors are mutually reinforcing and they are being controlled by people. Research has shown that shipping companies with high levels of safety reports have low accident figures, high productivity, low replacement rates of crews and less crew absence, while poor implementation of safety regulation is responsible for polluted maritime environment.
Human development could have impacted positively on maritime safety but for shortage of skilled manpower, low level of literacy, insufficient knowledge coupled with limited funds. While it is conceded that unlimited opportunities are available in the nation’s shipping industry, seafarers and shore-based staff cannot leverage on these opportunities because of weak capabilities. The government has to create an enabling environment, positive attitude must be encouraged, and people must be given quality education, while leadership commitment to maritime safety is necessary. It is necessary for Nigeria to have its own fleet of merchant ships to enable seafarers improve their skill, knowledge and experience in maritime safety.
Human development imperatives for maritime safety require leadership in maritime organisations to have vision and commitment to safety, while balancing between safety and profit. It is incumbent on all to sustain maritime safety and to display positive attitude at all levels within organisations. All government-approved maritime institutions must collaborate to ensure training and certification of crews are harmonised to produce manpower that is pro-industry, while shipping companies must have a sustained safety culture. All stakeholders are to cooperate with each other as no single organisation can enforce maritime safety regulations.
M.A. Johnson
