More women needed in maritime sector, says Bala Usman

Bala Usman, managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, has called on employers in the maritime sector to give more opportunities to women.

She made the call during her recent visit to the Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) in Lagos.

Usman said opportunities abound for women in the maritime sector.

She said the dearth of women in the sector was a global phenomenon, adding that only two per cent of the world’s maritime workforce is made up of women, according to a 2015 report of the International Transport Workers’ Federation.

The NPA boss said the time has come for key players in the sector to create opportunities for women to be educated and build their capacities.

Usman said a lot of professions exist within the sector and that some innate abilities in women “like the capacity to listen, adopt collaborative approaches to problem-solving, multi-task and synthesise viewpoints effectively and quickly are requisite for effectiveness in the sector”.

She further commended TICT management for investing in infrastructural and human resource development in the sector.

She assured of NPA’s support for all organisations that contribute to the development of the sector and conforms to the laws governing the country.