Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom State have joined forces to ensure the effective training of seafarers in the country.
To this end, the Governing Board of MAN led by its Chairman, Engr. Kehinde Olayinka Akinola has paid a working visit to the management of NIMASA at its corporate headquarters in Lagos.
A statement issued by NIMASA quoted the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola saying that effective collaboration between MAN and NIMASA is key to the development of training of seafarers in Nigeria.
According to the statement which was signed by NIMASA Deputy Director/Head, Public Relations, Mr. Osagie Edward, the agency was working on a review of the curriculum of the Standard Training Certification and Watch-keeping (STCW) 2017 for maritime training institutions in Nigeria.
Moberola’s words: “For over 32 years Nigerian training institutions have been operating with obsolete curricula. NIMASA is determined to review the curriculum and benchmark against the very best globally acceptable standard. This is in a quest to ensure that seafarer’s certification in Nigeria enjoys global recognition.”
The statement which was made available to Maritime Bits, also quoted Mobereola reiterating NIMASA’s commitment to supporting the successful training and promotion of Nigerian seafarers through MAN, Oron while noting that human capital remains one of the most critical components for the development of Nigeria’s blue economy.
Akinola in his response stated that the academy is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and remains one of the leading maritime training institutions in Africa.
While appreciating the management of NIMASA for its continued support to the academy, Akinola disclosed that MAN, Oron, has developed a five-year development plan, which includes the acquisition of a training vessel to further enhance practical training for cadets.
He further revealed that the Liberian Maritime Administration and a Liberian maritime training institute which recently visited the academy, have expressed interest in collaborating with MAN, Oron, to facilitate opportunities for Nigerian seafarers to undertake sea-time training onboard Liberian-flagged vessels.
The proposed collaboration, he noted, would provide Nigerian cadets with additional opportunities to gain practical experience and strengthen their competitiveness in the global maritime labour market.
