- Reach Stacker operator at APM Terminals Apapa, Cynthia Chukwuneke (left), Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex Apapa, Olufunmilayo Olotu, and a Mobile Harbour Crane operator, Perpetua Onyia, during the 2023 International Women’s Day event at the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa… recently
By Anthony Nwachukwu
Some of the female crane operators at APM Terminals Apapa have commended the firm for the opportunity and the conducive atmosphere to successfully ply a once male-dominated trade.
One of them, a Mobile Harbour Crane (MHC) operator, Perpetua Onyia, said recently at a 2023 International Women’s Day programme with the theme, “Embrace Equity”, that her success on the job has opened the door for other women to embrace similar career in a male-dominated port environment.
Commending APM Terminals for the same opportunities and resources as their male counterparts, she stated: “From day one of stepping into APM Terminals, it has always been a fair and equal chance. Nobody is saying you’re a female you can’t do this.”
Similarly, another female Reach Stacker operator, Cynthia Chukwuneke, explained that APM Terminals encouraged her to be the best in her chosen career.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Olotu, the Port Manager of Lagos Port Complex Apapa, which organized the event, has advised women in the maritime industry to embrace and support one other for professional advancement.
According to her, “women need to learn how to celebrate each other’s achievement, educate and raise awareness about women equality. Women need to lobby for accelerated gender parity, work together and help each other advance in their chosen careers.”
The APM Terminals Apapa had since 2019, following the Federal Government’s approval for women to begin night shifts, started giving women opportunities in male-dominated port operations.
Beginning with employing female crane operators the same year, it has introduced more gender-friendly policies, while also encouraging women to not only aspire for leadership positions but also undergo specific trainings to position them for management and leadership.
The APM Terminals Nigeria Senior Human Resource Business Partner, Uzoma Ngozi Ben-Ude attested to this: “In APM Terminals Nigeria, we not only give equal opportunities to both genders, we also actually go the extra mile to encourage female participation in some of the fields and roles where you have limited participation of females.
“We also ensure we have female representation in the leadership cadre of the organisation and create an enabling environment for them to succeed in whatever roles they have within the company.”
