Dockworkers threaten nationwide port shutdown next week over stalled pay talks

Dockworkers have threatened to shut down ports across Nigeria next week, saying terminal operators have refused to start negotiations on a new National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) agreement covering their pay and welfare.

The warning came from the Dockworkers Branch of the Maritime Workers' Union of Nigeria (MWUN). Its president, Bolaji Agboola, spoke in Lagos on Wednesday.

Agboola said the previous NJIC agreement expired at the end of May 2026, and revised rates were supposed to take effect from June 1. Workers, he said, should already be earning those new rates.

He said the branch leadership is finding it increasingly hard to calm workers' anger over what he called delay tactics by terminal operators, and warned that an industrial crisis in the maritime sector is now possible.

Why it matters

Nigeria's ports handle most of the goods the country imports, from food and medicine to fuel, cars and raw materials for factories. A shutdown would slow cargo clearing, push up costs for importers and could feed into prices for everyday goods.

Agboola called on the Federal Government to step in through the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), asking the agency to ensure terminal operators begin negotiations before the close of work this week.

He also accused operators of terminals and jetties covered by the NJIC agreement of stalling discussions on a review of workers' rates.

The union said it has kept engaging workers to prevent an escalation, but that frustration is growing as the delay drags on.

What happens next

All eyes are on NIMASA and the terminal operators. If talks do not start this week, the dockworkers say port operations nationwide could be disrupted next week.