The Defunct NNSL: Aged Seafarers Cry Out Over 31 Years of Unpaid Pensions

For thirty-one years, aged seafarers under the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) have continued to lament their plight following the extinction of the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL). Despite decades of service to the nation, their pensions and entitlements remain unpaid.

Three years ago, these pensioners underwent a rigorous verification exercise at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Sports Center in Surulere, Lagos, under the leadership of then-President General Comrade Prince (Dr.) Adewale Adeyanju, with oversight from the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency (NIMASA). Yet, despite this process, no payments have been made.

Tragically, many of these seafarers have since died waiting. Others are incapacitated, blind, suffering strokes, or confined to wheelchairs. Many cannot afford medical care, forcing them into self-medication. Some remain homeless, living in poverty and despair—an unimaginable fate for men who once sailed proudly under Nigeria’s flag.

Since assuming leadership, the incumbent President General, Comrade Francis Bunu Abi, has made the plight of these pensioners a priority. He has consistently welcomed them at the Union headquarters in Apapa, assuring them that the Union is pressing the government and relevant ministries in Abuja to act. His message has been one of patience and resilience, with the hope that “light at the end of the tunnel” is near.

The Union now makes a passionate appeal to the Federal Government: ease the suffering of these aged sailors and expedite the payment of their entitlements. They deserve to enjoy the fruits of their labor, not endure indignity in their twilight years.

As Comrade Bunu rightly stated, “Life after retirement is worth living, not a reverse gear.” These seafarers gave their strength to Nigeria’s maritime industry; they should not be abandoned in their weakness. A stitch in time, indeed, saves nine.