The Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) Nigeria has called for more friendly operational environment, to enhance its role of promoting women participation in the maritime industry.
WISTA Nigeria president, Mrs. Eunice Ezeoke, spoke ahead the association’s yearly luncheon and unveiling of its magazine slated for September 29 in Lagos, with the theme, “Innovation and Digitisation for Sustenable Shipping.”
She said, the association has been creating opportunities for women, capacity building, career and professional advancement over the years.
According to Ezeoke, the yearly business luncheon is part of WISTA’s capacity building and sensitisation of women in the industry.
“We pick a day in the year to organise a maritime event, which we call business luncheon. We use the opportunity to launch our WISTA Magazine,” she said.
“It is to spread wide that there is a professional body of women in the maritime industry called WISTA, which is one of the national WISTA associations existing in over 58 countries across the globe,” she added.
However, this edition holds same day with the World Maritime Day, and for that reason, will be starting at 1pm, to give room for stakeholders who will be attending the World Maritime Day event.
Meanwhile, Ezeoke explained that the association is only asking for more opportunities, noting that, “give us more leverage and see how far and how good women can perfect and manage businesses in the shipping and transportation industry.
“Women own ships and are into fishing, and WISTA has been in the business of empowering women by providing boats in the coastal states, and accessories to enable them fish, drive it and make money in the family.
“Women have always been contributing their quota, but we always want more because the level of patronage and acceptance is still very low.”
On financial challenges brought about by innovations in shipping technology, Ezeoke explained that, ‘the issue of finance is not peculiar to women.
“To steam a vessel was $10,000/day, but now it is $16,000/day, besides the exchange rate increase and cost of diesel, as well as crew upkeep and cost of providing security for the number of days your vessel will stay steaming, or at anchorage.
“These costs double when it concerns a woman, because you are thinking of repaying your loan and managing the security of the vessel and the crew members,” he pointed out.
Speaking on the theme, chairman of the organising committee, Mrs. Rita Egbuchue, noted that, shipping being a big business, “we look at areas that can sustain shipping, especially in Nigeria, because a lot of businesses are moved through the waters, through international shipping.”
