NIMASA, Mission to Seafarers Deepen Collaboration on Seafarers’ Welfare

August 3, 2026049

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Mission to Seafarers (MtS) have strengthened their partnership to improve the welfare, wellbeing, and professional development of Nigerian seafarers through enhanced collaboration.

The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment during a courtesy visit by the Chairman of the Management Committee of Mission to Seafarers Lagos, Chief Adebayo Sarumi, OON, and the Regional Director of Mission to Seafarers Africa, Reverend Cedric Rautenbach, to the agency’s headquarters in Lagos.

Representing the Director-General, NIMASA’s Executive Director, Operations, Engr. Fatai Taiye Adeyemi, said the agency would continue implementing policies and initiatives aimed at improving seafarers’ welfare and professional advancement.

He said NIMASA remained committed to enhancing certification processes, capacity development, and policies that promote the wellbeing and career progression of Nigerian seafarers.

“We will continue to collaborate with stakeholders such as the Mission to Seafarers to ensure that seafarers receive the support they deserve both at sea and in port,” Adeyemi said.

L-R: Chairman, Management Committee of Mission to Seafarers (MtS) Lagos, Chief Adebayo Sarumi, OON; making a presentation to the Executive Director, Operations, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Engr. Fatai Adeyemi; alongside Chaplain, at the Mission to Seafarers Lagos, The Venerable Raphael O. Gbenie; during a courtesy visit by the Chairman, Management Committee, Mission to Seafarers, Lagos to the headquarters of NIMASA in Lagos.

Sarumi commended NIMASA’s ongoing reforms in the maritime sector and expressed appreciation for the agency’s engagement with the Mission to Seafarers.

He noted that the organisation had consistently provided welfare, pastoral care, and practical support to seafarers globally and expressed confidence that stronger collaboration with NIMASA would further improve the welfare of maritime professionals in Nigeria.

Rautenbach explained that while the Mission to Seafarers and the Port Welfare Committee share the common objective of improving seafarers’ welfare, they operate under distinct but complementary mandates.

He stressed that greater collaboration among maritime stakeholders would strengthen the support systems available to seafarers calling at Nigerian ports.

The meeting focused on issues relating to seafarers’ welfare, decent working conditions, and areas of mutual cooperation aimed at enhancing welfare support services across Nigeria’s maritime sector.

L-R: Chairman, Management Committee of Mission to Seafarers (MtS) Lagos, Chief Adebayo Sarumi, OON; Regional Director, Mission to Seafarers Africa, Reverend Cedric Rautenbach; Dr. Mrs Yetunde Akinluyi; Executive Director Operation, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA Engr. Fatai Adeyemi; and Executive Director, Maritime Labour & Cabotage Services, NIMASA, Mr. Jibril Abba, Barr. Funmi Folorunsho and Deputy Director Maritime Labour Services, NIMASA, Hajia Hadiza Maina; during a courtesy visit by the Chairman, Management Committee, Mission to Seafarers, Lagos to the headquarters of NIMASA in Lagos.

NIMASA reaffirmed it’s committment to protecting the rights and welfare of Nigerian seafarers in line with international best practices and the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006, through sustained stakeholder engagement, stronger regulatory oversight, and policies that promote decent work.