WISTA Advocates More Female Participation in Maritime

Eromosele Abiodun

The Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA Nigeria) has stated that the recently celebrated International Women’s Day 2020, provided a platform to raise awareness of the importance of gender equality in maritime profession.

The President of WISTA Nigeria, Mrs Eunice Ezeoke, made this known in a statement issued in Lagos, by the Public Relations Officer of the Association, Mrs Sarah Roberts.

According to her, WISTA Nigeria joined the rest of women professionals worldwide, especially in maritime industry to celebrate the day to give recognition to women and emphasise gender equality.

“Gender equality is essential for economies and communities to thrive and the year 2020 is a pivotal year for advancing gender equality worldwide. The race is on for the gender equal boardroom, a gender equal government, gender equal workplaces and more gender equality in health and wealth.

“We are happy that Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman, emerged as the first female Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). We have also had a female Director-General of NIMASA in the past, when Barrister Mfon Usoro headed the agency.

“We have many other great women including judges that are our members. We have vessel owners, maritime experts, and business moguls, top maritime administrators, among others.

“We also have women in Customs, Immigration, Clearing and Forwarding, the Media as well as anybody that has anything to do with shipping,’’ Ezeoke said.

She added that WISTA Nigeria had her pet projects such as supporting the women in the riverine areas of Aguleri (Anambra), Oron (Akwa Ibom), Lokoja (Kogi) and Epe (Lagos State) with boats and other fishing equipment.

Ezeoke, noted that the association was also reaching out to fisherwomen in the Niger Delta region to assist them by providing fishing boats and other materials.

“WISTA Nigeria felicitates with the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of State for Transportation; Senator Gbemisola Saraki on this occasion of International Women’s Day.

“WISTA Nigeria looks forward to the support of the Federal Ministry of Transportation

and other maritime agencies in achieving the noble objective of encouraging effective participation of girls and women in maritime industry.

“WISTA Nigeria also commend efforts of the Chief Executives of maritime agencies comprising; the Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Bala-Usman; Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello.

“WISTA Nigeria also commends the efforts of the Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority (NWA), Chief (Dr) George Muoghalu; and the Chairman, Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Retired Col. Abubakar Tsanni, “she said.