Methodist Girls High School, Lagos has won the maiden edition of Maritime Quiz Competition for Secondary Schools, the quiz moderator, Mrs Violet Williams, has said.
Williams said at the end of the competition on Wednesday in Lagos that Mind Builders and Regency School emerged as first and second runners up out of 10 secondary schools that participated.
She explained that the rationale behind the competition was to expose the participants to the maritime industry and guide them to the “Career of the Future.”
Williams, who is also the Principal Partner of Vow Ventures, said her firm had exposed the students to the shipping environment before engaging in the competition to raise their interest in shipping career.
“We want to demystify the aspect of no-go- area in the maritime sector and we have discovered that some school owners do not know anything about shipping.
“Shipping is a global and international business, whereby we catch them young. These children will be able to be independent.
She said that the quiz would be extended to secondary school students in the South-East and South-South which have proximity to the sea before 2020.
She commended the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for their contributions towards the success of the quiz.
The Director-General, Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, Mrs Obiageli Obi, advised students interested in maritime career to study hard and explore the maritime industry, regardless of their professions.
Obi urged the students to be disciplined and resourceful because shipping business is a capital intensive venture.
She explained that the students must have passion for the shipping business to be successful irrespective of their disciplines before going into it.
Also, Mrs Mary Hamman, the President, Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA), advised the students to choose relevant courses to enable them to build their own careers in the shipping business.
She announced that winners of the quiz would be exposed to all aspects of the maritime industry within and outside the country.
In her remarks, Mrs Bola Muse, Women Governor, Association of Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), commended the organisers for enlightening the students at their tender ages.
According to her, the maritime industry accommodates both sexes.
She, however, urged the organisers to extend the competition to other schools to enable Nigerian students understand the profession and study the course in the university.
Some of the participants thanked the organisers for the opportunity and promised to study hard in order to realize their ambition to boost the maritime industry and to earn foreign currencies.
The six participants from the three schools would be sponsored on trips to some African maritime environments including Ghana.
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