The managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman, has called on young women to pursue careers in shipping, marine operations and the engineering in the maritime sub-sector.
Presenting a paper titled: “Improving the Participation of Women in the Ports,” at the just concluded World Maritime University Conference, with the theme “Empowering Women in the Maritime Community”, Bala-Usman called on nations with maritime endowments to fund specialised institutions and provide incentives for women to pursue courses in shipping, maritime and engineering.
“Women, who have broken through barriers in this sector must institute mentoring system that will encourage other young ladies to take careers and create a pipeline for succession in the maritime sector.
“Government agencies and private sector investors must also be deliberate about increasing the tally of women in the sector,” she said.
“Last year for instance, Tin-Can Island Terminal, one of our terminals, recruited the first set of female crane operators in Nigeria, she said.
Local media reports quoted the NPA boss as saying that gender equality is a critical tool in nation building, so as to check the problem of “gender imbalance” which cuts across almost all professional spheres.
According to her, the NPA has instituted some initiatives to encourage and motivate women in the course of their career in the organisation.
These initiatives, she said, included maternity leave and entitlements, as well as the establishments of a crèche facility at the Lagos Ports Complex, Apapa.
GIK/APA