The Delta State Government has assured that it would continue to partner with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for the rapid development of the Nigeria Maritime University (NMU) located in Okerekoko in the state.
The Governor of the state; Mr. Ifeanyi Okowa gave the assurance last week Friday when the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Patrick Akpobolokemi led a high powered team from the institute on a working visit to the Governor in Asaba, Delta State.
The Delta State Government has assured that it would continue to partner with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for the rapid development of the Nigeria Maritime University (NMU) located in Okerekoko in the state.
The Governor of the state; Mr. Ifeanyi Okowa gave the assurance last week Friday when the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Patrick Akpobolokemi led a high powered team from the institute on a working visit to the Governor in Asaba, Delta State.
Governor Okowa said that the location of the maritime school is of commendable, adding that the birth of the Nigeria Maritime University is a step taken in the right direction.
The governor noted that the location of the University in Delta State will enhance development of human resources and also bridge the maritime manpower gap currently being experienced in the nation.
"I want to re assure you obviously that the state government will partner with you in ensuring the rapid development of the university", the Governor told the NIMASA delegation.
The obviously excited governor also stated that his administration will lay emphasis on technical education with a view to ensuring that people of the state acquire technical skills which can make them self sufficient.
Okowa appealed to youths and leaders of the host community of Okerenkoko for peace co-existence and the development of the school.
He also commended the NIMASA management for the foresight and doggedness thinking outside the box.
According to him, "we have been so used to conventional universities and I will say that we need to ensure that we actually bring in practical training for our children, so that we can make them employable and sometimes self dependent"
"We cannot afford to allow our coastal and inland waterways resources in this country to waste, the early we put it into use the better for us and I hope this is a very good opportunity to call on the federal government to look into the waterways in Delta State"
Okowa further emphasised the need for parent to redirect the orientation of their children about the benefit attached to such specialised institutions, pointing out that to a large extent the conventional universities have created some level of problems in developing nations like Nigeria.
He lauded NIMASA's initiative in ensuring that a maritime university was established in state, noting that it is the first in Nigeria.
Earlier in his address, DG NIMASA, Dr. Ziakede Akpolobokemi appealed to the governor for partnership, saying that Delta state is a beneficiary on what is happening in the agency.
According to him, the federal government approved a whooping N50billion for the university which is the responsibility of the agency to fund.
He said the school will operate from a temporary site, adding that in no distance time it will move to the permanent site.
Akpobolokemi said that the agency conceptualised the idea of establishing a maritime university four years ago in order to bridge the human resource gap.
"Delta state has oceans, abundant human and natural resources, even as it is also rich in oil and gas", the NIMASA DG affirmed.
Akpobolokemi added that the maritime university has some level of para-military element in its curriculum because such schools are not purely conventional universities.
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