ACADEMIC activities of the Maritime University of Nigeria Okerenkoko, Delta State are set to commence in October, 2017. This was disclosed by the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside on Thursday during the celebration of the World Seafarers’ Day tagged ‘Seafarers’ Matters’ held in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
The university has been a contentious issue over the past two years following the handing over of government from former President Goodluck Jonathan to President Muhammadu Buhari, a Fulani of North east Nigeria.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in answer to the demands championed by major stakeholders in the Niger Delta region at his administrations inception directed that the university should resume before the end of the year.
Peterside said revisiting the establishment of the university will sustain efforts of the agency towards building requisite capacity for the nation’s maritime industry.
Constanta Maritime University in Romania is one of the foreign institutions currently training Nigerian students sent there through scholarship granted by Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, for maritime studies. Over 2000 Nigerian students are being trained since the scholarship programme started. Earlier reports had put the cost of the funding at about €1.5 million per year from Nigeria
According to Peterside, “The agency has so far facilitated the training of 2,259 young Nigerians in various fields of maritime studies in reputable maritime institutions in the United Kingdom, Egypt, Romania, India and Philippines,” he said to the cadets.
“Permit me to state that the government is revisiting the establishment of the Maritime University at Okerenkoko, Delta state and the acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has directed that academic activities should start by October this year.
“Also, other institutes for maritime studies in six universities across the country are sustainable efforts by the agency towards building the requisite capacity for the industry.”
This is even as the DG said the agency was in advanced stage of placing 943 cadets of the National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) on-board vessels for requisite sea-time training.
Peterside who is also the chairman of Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA), said due to the importance of seafarers to world trade and economy, they occupy a pride of place in the agency’s activities.
“For us in NIMASA, the seafarers will continue to occupy the pride of place in our activities which explains why priority attention is being paid to the development of human capacity through the adoption of a multi-strategy approach aim at encouraging the young school leavers to take a career at sea as cadets through the National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP).”
Speaking on the arrangement to put NSDP cadets on vessels for sea-time, Peterside said, “Permit me to also mention that arrangements are at advanced stage for the placement of 943 cadets of the NSDP on board vessels for their mandatory seatime.
“The purpose is to ensure that the country has adequate skilled manpower for the maritime industry especially in meeting the demands of the Cabotage regime.
“In this regard, the Agency in March this year facilitated the training of 428 seafarers on mandatory courses and other specific areas of specialisation for career progression.”
The DG also disclosed at the event that the agency has so far facilitated training for 2,259 young Nigerians in various fields of maritime studies I globally reputable maritime institutions.
