Maritime students in the country have stormed the headquarters of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Victoria Island, Lagos, staging a peaceful protest on the ills plaguing them over the years.
Among other things, the aggrieved students who stormed NIMASA Headquarter on Thursday called on the management of the agency which presently has Dr. Dayo Mobereola as its Director General to address the growing unemployment crisis among maritime graduates in the country.
They did not only chant solidarity songs but they also carried placards with various inscriptions.
These include “Train Cadet Locally and Improve the Maritime University”, “We Lack Sea Time Experience” “Enough is Enough, We need Jobs for Maritime Graduates” and others, the protesting students decried the lack of sea time training and job placements, which they described as a major hindrance to pursuing careers in seafaring.
Drawn from different maritime institutions across the country, the aggrieved students expressed deep frustration over the neglect they have faced after graduation.
They expressed dismay that they have remained idle despite completing their academic requirements.
According to one of the protesters, we are tired of staying at home with our certificates. Without sea time experience, we cannot get our Certificates of Competency (CoC), and without that, we cannot work as professionals. How are we supposed to grow the maritime sector this way?
The aggrieved students enjoined NIMASA and other relevant stakeholders in the maritime industry to create sustainable pathways for cadet training, particularly through local sea time opportunities, and to invest more in the capacity of maritime universities in Nigeria.
They emphasized that their intention was not to disrupt activities at NIMASA headquarter but to appeal to the conscience of its management to be alive its roles and responsibilities especially in their career development.
NIMASA was yet to issue an official response to the students’ peaceful protest as at press time.
