The Alumni of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron (AMANO) has declared full support for the Governing Council of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, expressing concern over what it described as attempts to “poison the atmosphere” around the council and distract it from delivering on its core mandate.
The association said recent publications portraying the council as divided were misleading, warning stakeholders against politicising an institution that has recorded visible progress in maritime manpower development.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily, the President of AMANO, Mr. Emmanuel Maiguwa, said the association was uncomfortable with narratives suggesting that the Academy’s Governing Council was at war with itself.
He noted that such reports were capable of damaging the credibility of the institution at a time when the Academy was beginning to show clear improvements in training outcomes, discipline, and cadet placement.
Maiguwa explained that stakeholders should be more concerned with consolidating the gains recorded over the years, particularly the improvement in seafaring opportunities for graduating cadets. He stated that about 60% of seafaring cadets who just graduated from the Academy have secured job placements—an achievement he described as a remarkable shift from the past when many graduates were left without berthing opportunities to proceed for their sea time.
According to him, this progress should not be jeopardised by unnecessary controversies or deliberate misinformation.
He dismissed suggestions that recent tensions were linked to the proposed Maritime University, insisting that the Academy and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy had always maintained a coordinated and mutually supportive relationship in terms of training standards and capacity development.
Maiguwa stressed that AMANO had never opposed the establishment of new maritime institutions, but warned that such efforts must not undermine existing specialised structures, such as MAN Oron, which are already yielding results.
According to him, Nigeria’s growing population and expanding maritime activities demand more training platforms, not unhealthy comparisons or politically motivated narratives.
However, he cautioned that duplication of roles, poor planning, or attempts to sideline MAN Oron could create confusion within the sector and undermine the Academy’s long-standing contribution to developing competent seafarers.
He maintained that the Maritime Academy has distinct responsibilities that cannot simply be transferred to another institution, adding that the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the governing council have consistently collaborated to improve curriculum enhancement, simulator training, and cadet readiness.
“The real question,” Maiguwa asked, is: ‘What is MAN Oron doing that the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy cannot support?’
He noted that the Academy remains a specialised institution designed to produce skilled seafarers, and that role, he said, “is still very relevant.”
Maiguwa warned that any attempt to distort facts or sow division within the governing council would be resisted, stressing that the stability of the Academy is essential to meeting the manpower needs of shipowners, coastal operators, and the Federal Government’s broader blue economy agenda.
He called on stakeholders to prioritise national interest over political agendas, urging them to shield the Academy from distractions that could undermine its progress.
