Nigeria risks losing international shipping traffic unless its ports urgently embrace green compliance measures, the National Association of Stevedoring Operators (NASO) has warned.
NASO President, Mr Bolaji Sunmola, gave the warning on Thursday during the 2026 Dockworkers’ Day celebration in Lagos.
The event was organised by the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria (SCAN) under the theme, ‘Green Ports: Sustainable Practices for Dockworkers.’
Sunmola said the global maritime industry had reached a regulatory turning point that Nigeria could no longer afford to ignore.
He noted that compliance deadlines would determine which ports remained competitive and which lost patronage from international shipping lines.
According to him, the International Maritime Organisation’s revised greenhouse gas strategy requires at least a 20 per cent emissions reduction by 2030.
He added that the strategy also targets net-zero emissions by 2050, making green compliance an operational necessity for Nigerian ports.
“Green compliance is now an operational necessity for every Nigerian port and stevedoring company,” he said.
Sunmola stressed that Nigeria’s transition strategy must reflect local realities, including power infrastructure deficits and persistent port congestion.
He also cited the country’s abundant natural gas resources and labour-intensive port operations as factors requiring practical solutions.
The NASO president argued that operational efficiency remains the most effective green initiative currently available to the industry.
He said such measures required neither imported technology nor fresh capital investment to deliver environmental benefits.
“When stevedores reduce cargo dwell times, cut vessel anchorage waits and minimise truck idling at gates, emissions drop.
“The carbon never emitted remains the greenest of all,” he said.
Sunmola reaffirmed NASO’s support for digital reforms designed to improve port efficiency and sustainability.
He specifically highlighted the Eto Electronic Call-Up System, National Single Window and Port Community System initiatives.
According to him, dockworkers, stevedores and terminal operators are central to the successful implementation of those reforms.
He warned that emissions from cargo-handling equipment remained a significant challenge across Nigerian ports.
Sunmola noted that cranes, forklifts, terminal tractors and other machinery contributed substantially to port-related emissions.
He said NASO was ready to collaborate with the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.
The collaboration, he explained, would focus on developing a realistic equipment upgrade roadmap supported by accessible financing mechanisms.
He identified the Green Climate Fund as one potential source of support for modernisation efforts.
Sunmola urged the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and the Nigerian Ports Authority to embed binding green standards in port reforms.
He said every new infrastructure investment should contain measurable environmental performance indicators.
These, he explained, should cover emissions reduction, equipment standards, waste management and cargo dwell time targets.
Addressing dockworkers directly, Sunmola described them as the most critical participants in the industry’s green transition.
“You are not bystanders but the most critical participants in the green transition,” he said.
He added that efficiency, proper equipment handling and adherence to safety standards contribute significantly to environmental sustainability.
“Your efficiency, care for equipment and commitment to safety are green actions that protect both the environment and livelihoods,” he stated.
Sunmola emphasised that sustainability must also include workers’ welfare, safety and long-term wellbeing.
He said Nigeria must seize the opportunity to develop ports that are efficient, environmentally responsible and humane.
“Modernisation without green performance standards is only half-complete.
“Our economy depends on ports that remain competitive in a carbon-conscious global trade system,” he said.
The immediate past President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Mr Adewale Adeyanju, also addressed the gathering through a representative.
Adeyanju, represented by the union’s National Auditor-General, Nr Eze Robert, commended SCAN for sustaining the Dockworkers’ Day celebration.
He cautioned against allowing environmental reforms to undermine workers’ welfare and employment security.
“The global transition to greener ports should not become an excuse for job losses, poor working conditions or worker marginalisation,” he said.
Adeyanju advocated a “just transition” that balances environmental objectives with workers’ rights and welfare.
He called for increased training, skills development, job protection, social dialogue and safe working conditions.
Earlier, SCAN President Moses Ebosele described the event’s theme as timely and relevant to current industry realities.
Ebosele said the maritime sector was increasingly adopting environmentally responsible practices aimed at reducing carbon emissions.
He noted that efficiency improvements were also becoming central to global port operations.
“As the backbone of port operations, dockworkers must be equipped with adequate training, technology and welfare support,” he said.
According to him, empowering dockworkers is essential for achieving sustainable and greener port operations across Nigeria. (NAN)
