The much anticipated seaport in which we do not know when that will come reality from the look of things, in terms of political will and national politics. But when that is done, there are critical skills Akwa Ibomites should learn, for the purpose of job and social security.
Believe me I must say that if the port is completed right now, alot of the people of Akwa Ibom won't be employed in that sector. Why? Because we are not grounded in maritime trade activities, which we all know that the south east neighbors will outcompete Ibom people in such area.
So for the purpose of resilience and equipping before time, the deep seaport comes along with chain of opportunities for us to explore. So I decided to inquire about opportunities in seaport, knowledge and skills if you are interested in working at port in near future.
Alot of Akwa Ibomites living in Lagos and who happened to work at NPA are doing well, earning 6 figures in naira. I know quite few of them.
The maritime sector as a whole in Nigeria contributes significantly to our national GDP and by extension the host community. Let's take a look at Lagos economy, the fifth largest economy in Africa and undisputed economic capital of West Africa.
The Apapa port alone ranks in billions to trillions of naira. Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) is an economy on its own. But you have to knowledgeable in such an economy and here are the skills necessary for such.
Skills/Knowledge and Opportunities in proposed Ibom Deep Seaport
Cargo Handling Employment Opportunities
Cargo-handling jobs are often the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of employment opportunities at Ibom seaports. A few of the jobs related to cargo-handling are listed below:
Clerks check the actual count of the goods versus the amount listed on the ship’s manifest when cargo is unloaded from a ship. The clerk will note shortages, overages or damage.
This might seems familiar when considering that you can have experience in recording in traditional business in retailing and wholesale. But this might be kinda more complex and requires learning. It's the clearing and forwarding stuff you have heard.
Longshoremen (also called stevedores) load and unload ships or perform administrative tasks associated with the loading or unloading of cargo. Longshore “gangs” are hired by stevedoring firms and may or may not be labor union members.
Hostlers (or hustlers) drive tractors for moving cargo within a container yard.
Consolidators combine cargo from a number of shippers into a container that will deliver the goods to several buyers.
Additional propose Ibom Port-Related Employment Opportunities
Ports also offer jobs in many areas beyond cargo-handling, including:
- Terminal and harbor operations
- Engineering, planning and design
- Environmental management and technology
- Public, media and/or community relations
- Security and emergency management
- Worker safety job in Maritime Industry
Furthermore, Akwa Ibom seaport would indirectly support the creation of jobs in port-related sectors such as transportation, distribution and supply chain management. For example, truck drivers who service port facilities will play a vital role in moving goods from containers coming into the port to interim locations or to their final destinations.
Its time the people of Akwa Ibom to sharpen their and plan ahead for the soon to come opportunities that are coming as a result of the development.