Bunu Receives MARCON Labour Leader of the Year Award
The President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Francis Bunu Abi, has bagged the MARCON Labour Leader of the Year Award in recognition of his leadership, commitment to workers’ welfare and industrial harmony in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
The award recognises Bunu’s sustained advocacy for the rights and welfare of maritime workers, his commitment to collective bargaining and improved conditions of service, as well as his efforts to promote safety and constructive engagement between organised labour, employers and government agencies.
A seafarer by profession, Bunu began his maritime career working aboard vessels locally and internationally before taking up union leadership. His progression within MWUN has spanned more than two decades, beginning with his election as an Ex-officio member of the Port Harcourt Seafarers Unit and later as Chairman of the unit in 2001.
He became Rivers State District Chairman in 2005 and was returned unopposed in 2009 for a second term. His performance at the district level paved the way for his election as President of the Seamen/Seafarers Branch of MWUN in 2013, a position he also retained for a second term.
With practical experience as a serving seafarer, Bunu became an advocate for improved wages, workers’ rights and conditions of service, representing seafarers in negotiations and contributing to the resolution of labour issues and maintenance of industrial peace.
He was elected Deputy President-General of MWUN in 2021 and appointed Dockworkers Regional Chairman by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) in 2024.
On March 28, 2025, Bunu emerged unopposed as President-General of MWUN at the union’s 6th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference in Lagos, succeeding Comrade Adewale Adeyanju. His emergence marked the first time a member of the Seafarers Branch rose to the position of President-General of the union.
Under his leadership, MWUN has continued to focus on workers’ welfare, collective bargaining, safety awareness, accident compensation matters and engagement with relevant government and industry institutions, including the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Bunu’s academic and professional development also includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Rivers State University, alongside international training in collective bargaining, employee rights, management, communication, performance enhancement and leadership.
Chairman of the MARCON Conference Planning Committee, Paul Ogbuokiri, said the recognition reflects Bunu’s long-standing contribution to organised maritime labour and his progression through the ranks of the union.
He said Bunu’s career as a seafarer and labour leader demonstrates the value of practical industry experience in representing workers and promoting constructive engagement within the maritime sector.
The award was presented during the 2026 MARCON National Conference on Sustainable Fishing, held on Wednesday, September 30, at Rockview Hotel, Apapa, Lagos.
The conference, themed “Sustainable Fishing in Nigeria: Pathways to Growth, Food Security and Coastal Livelihoods,” brought together policymakers, regulators, maritime industry operators, researchers and other stakeholders to examine pathways for sustainable development of Nigeria’s fisheries sector.
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