Lectures have started at the first ever tertiary institution fully devoted to the study of maritime in the country, Nigeria Maritime University (NMU), Okerenkoko, Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State.
The commencement of lectures was part of the kick of academic activities for the 2017/2018 session in the NMU in fulfilment of President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration’s commitment to develop the oil and gas rich Niger Delta region.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media and Publicity in the Office of the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande who disclosed this in a statement said a total of 196 students have so far been accepted into the NMU to start their academic programmes.
Maritime Bits had reported that the university was granted approval in January this year by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to commence undergraduate degree programmes effective from the 2017/2018 academic session.
It is also on record that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) had also listed the NMU in its Central Admissions Processing System in January 24, 2018, while interviews for academic staff positions were conducted between 1st and 2nd of March, 2018.
The NUC had approved that academic activities commence in three faculties. They are Transport, Engineering and Environmental Management. The faculties have a combined total of 13 departments with various specializations.
These include Marine Engineering, Marine Economics to Climate Change, Fisheries and Aquaculture.
President Buhari had approved an increase in the take-off grant allocated to the NMU from the initial N2 billion it earlier announced to N5 billion. This sum was included in the 2018 budget presented to the National Assembly in November 2017.
In the same vein, an additional N1billion was approved by President Buhari to support essential infrastructure works and staff recruitment in the tertiary institution in November 2017. Following the kick off of operations last year, the NMU in November 2017 invited job applications for academic staff with advert placement in major national dailies.
As if taking a cue from the Federal Government, the Delta State government also donated two 500KVA generators to the NMU.
It is on record that Buhari in a meeting with leaders of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) in November 2016 delegated Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, to undertake a tour of the oil producing communities in 2017.
The take-off of academic activities in the NMU was one of the key demands presented by PANDEF to the Federal Government.
Not a few stakeholders in the maritime industry have seen the kick off of academic activities in the 2017/2018 session as a dream come true.
