Anonymous seafarer
It's a square peg in a round hole and it does not solve anything. Look at South Tyneside College, which is one of the best maritime school in the world, it is awarding ND and HND, yet produces all the major hands in the industry. If UK could still be running their maritime school as college and achieving the best practices, what is wrong with Nigeria? What the government has done to MAN Oron is just a change of name, the standard remains poor. They should rather upgrade the school standard, equip the school with proper up-to-date equipment, get sound lecturers, get them a training vessel and upgrade the CoC license to international standard. Either university or polytechnic, the most important is the Certificate of Competency.
No shipping company in the world employ on the basis of BSc or HND what matters to them is CoC. Previously, we spend two years National diploma in school, go to sea for 18 months, and go back to school for six months for CoC exam. Then u can decide to go for HND or you go for BSc.
But once you have your Certificate of Competency, you are ready for the job.
The 18months sea time makes u understand the real course of study. So when you go back to school, you will understand better. But with the university standard, you will be in class for 4 years without having the opportunity to experience the real situation.
Tunji Obagbo (POTEMAN)
I am very much in support of upgrading MAN Oron to become a university; it is even a glory to the maritime industry in Nigeria and applause to the National Assembly. Already, we have several conventional universities but the hub of all industries in the country which is maritime; it can not boast of a viable university. However, my advice is that as MAN Oron is being upgraded into a university, so also the facilities in the academy should be expressly attended to with immediate effect.
Dr. Zebulon Ikokide (NIFF)
The upgrading of MAN Oron is a welcome change. Now, we are happy to have universities dedicated to maritime affairs. I believe that when the university as well as the Nigerian Maritime University in Okerenkoko are fully operational, the country can then be referred to as a maritime nation. I like the idea. The infrastructure presently in MAN Oron is enough for it to take-off as a university.
Comrade Owolabi Omotayo (Water Transporter)
Upgrading of Maritime Academy of Nigeria(MAN) Oron into a University is a welcome development and long overdue, but what is more important to the university after upgrading is funding, acquisition of equipment for practical training, such as functional sea going vessel(s) for induction and on-the-job training for the cadets. The university also need renowned world class marine navigators and engineers as lecturers, even if it requires the institution hiring foreign lecturers to produce first class cadets employable for the development of our maritime sector.
Obiageli Obi (DG Chamber of Shipping)
Upgrading MAN Oron into a federal maritime university is a good development. They should also ensure that the staff have the required training. But the government should not forget that what the people need most is sea time. A lot of them have acquired the knowledge and all they need is practical. They should collaborate with other institutions all over the world to give our people sea time. As MAN Oron has now been upgraded they should endeavour to provide sea time to our seafarers. We should understand that maritime is the future of this country. So sea time is the most important thing we should talk about.
John Okpono (Merchant Navy)
It is a welcomed development. In Nigeria there is no maritime university and this is the first of its kind. My advice is that the facilities and personnel meet the international standard. It’s not all about upgrading the school, they should also ensure that the upgrade meets international standard. They should also ensure that professionalism is their watch-word. They should not politicize the move. As a maritime nation, the government should also look for a way to affiliate the school with one of the world best maritime university for our seafarers to be gainfully employed.
Captain Tajudeen Alao( Master Mariner)
It is a very welcome idea but upgrading without facilities is nothing. MAN Oron never had facilities before now. For a school which never counted ABC to jump to Z, is what I don't understand. The core function of Oron is for nautical science and marine engineering students and the ratio if other courses which have been existing in other universities are higher in Oron. Now the facilities on ground are very poor. The question now is, how do we upgrade without facilities?
Dr Eugene Nweke (Former President NAGAFF)
The action of the National Assembly is welcome. If not because of the laxity of the government, we are not supposed to give to Ghana our Regional Maritime University but today, we have done that because of the nonchalance of the government. MAN Oron is supposed to be a maritime university after 10 years of existence it is even supposed to be a regional maritime university. If you check very well, you will see that we are supposed to have a regional university instead of conceding it to Ghana. I am of the opinion that instead of building new maritime university, we should upgrade the one we have. By the time the school is upgraded into maritime university, you will be able to canvass for international collaboration for sea time for our seafarers. They can also train people who can build ships. So the National Assembly is on good course. I am not against building a new maritime university after all it is not bad if we have two but let us upgrade the one we have.
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