The Association of Licensed Maritime Academy of Nigeria (ALMAN) has said that plans are afoot to partner with ship owners under the auspices of Nigerian Ship owners Association (NISA) for the benefit of their cadets to get sea time training experience for its cadets.
President of the nascent maritime academy group, Dr. Reuben Ovai made this known in an exclusive chat with Shipping Position Daily in Ogun State, penultimate week.
The Association of Licensed Maritime Academy of Nigeria (ALMAN) has said that plans are afoot to partner with ship owners under the auspices of Nigerian Ship owners Association (NISA) for the benefit of their cadets to get sea time training experience for its cadets.
President of the nascent maritime academy group, Dr. Reuben Ovai made this known in an exclusive chat with Shipping Position Daily in Ogun State, penultimate week.
It would by recalled that NISA entered into partnership with some Greek ship-owning firm on the acquisition of 40 ships in June, a situation ALMAN said it will rob minds with the indigenous operators as part of efforts to expose its cadets to sea time training.
Ovai who said that the Memorandum of Understanding reached by both NISA members and their Greek counterpart will be of benefit to Nigerian cadets stressing that the initiative will be quite enormous.
The ALMAN president said that it will also bring so many advantages to Nigerian cadets as regards job placement after sea time experience.
"We have plans on ground to visit members of NISA but we want to wait for Mr. President to appoint a minister of transport and even settle down with the numerous activities"
"NISA is one of the organisation we want to partner with because we need each other for future existence "
"Anything that will expand NISA to be great, we will stand by it because if NISA acquires more vessels as we speak, I know some of my students will be on board such vessels , same goes to other students from the association"
"We stand by any condition that will expand NISA fleets simply because it is a good omen for Nigeria as a nation and it shows that the economy of Nigeria is growing"
"In the world over it is the practice is for ship owners to accept cadets on board their vessel for internship without any attachment"
"As ship owners empower the cadets, so also they are training someone that will man their vessels in the future", he stressed.
He said that ship owners are fond of giving conditions to youths seeking for sea time experience adding that an the inaugural meeting with NISA , some of the issues will focus on that aspect.
According to him, a ship crew is not complete without cadets on board noting that indigenous ship owners should look inward in ensuring that their vessels are also manned by cadets who are seeking for sea time experience.
Ovai pointed that acceptability of indigenous ship owners for Nigerian cadets will also address issues surrounding local content and in discrimination with foreign counterparts.
"It’s a question for us to sit in a roundtable with ship owners in Nigeria by way of encouraging ourselves on how things can get better for us all"
He said that the process of ship owners engaging Nigerian cadets from both private and public institutions will serve as a contribution to nation-building through the maritime sector.
The Stars Maritime Academy boss also advised members of NISA to settle their differences and live peacefully because it will be difficult for government to engage a factionalised body of ship owners in Nigeria.
The ALMAN president added that the more indigenous operators acquire more vessels for coastal and inland trade, the better for Nigerian future seafarers and cadets.
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