Kunle Bankola (Relation Executive, ISAN)
Kunle Bankola (Relation Executive, ISAN)
I will say that the Rector is doing the best he can to improve that school; from my own approach I think he has identified that he needs a lot of government support, he is rallying round the government and stakeholders as well, from the way he is going about it, it looks like he knows what the problem is. The basic challenge I think the school has is the opportunity for students to put what they have learnt in school into practice, simply put; the sea time experience. I think there is an initiative that operators in Nigeria should be asked to accommodate students so that they can have sea time, hopefully by the time Nigeria has a national carrier, a shipping line that represents the national interest which was the avenue where the bulk of the frontline operators we have in Nigeria used to train themselves, but this seems to have been taken away, the ISAN Shipping Line as an example, if the national carrier status is granted to it, it should be able to accommodate students from schools like MAN Oron and give them sea time experience.
Dr. Zebulon Ikokide (Director, IFFN)
Sometimes ago we asked some of the lecturers to work with us in the CRFFN in training of the freight forwarders, but since then we have not got anything from them, they even took some of our books to the institution but we have not heard from them, but if NIMASA is fulfilling its obligation to the school, I think they will be able to do well, especially in terms of training, we need more exposure for the lecturers of that school so that we can know what is wrong and what they ought to do, but now they are in comatose, they are not coming out, they should come out more so that we can know their problems, the institution still needs to be exposed to the various awareness and conferences holding in the maritime sector, for example, the ISPS Code conference held by NIMASA in Lagos they ought to be there because it involves issues of STCW, they are to do a lot of training in that area, probably there is no fund for research and development, and you know without funds they cannot do much.
Capt. Adewale Ishola (Master Mariner)
I was there over the weekend for a different exercise as an external assessor; I think the institution is reaching out to have collaboration with other maritime institutions with a view to improving their training, their system, as well as their facilities. From the information I gathered, the World Maritime University president had visited the place and they gave the school a pass mark, there is an institution that came from South Africa and they are also ready to partner with them, the school attested that there are beautiful infrastructures on ground at MAN Oron and they have agreed to partner with them. You know the furore about the NSDP cadets that went to the Philippines where people complained that the standard there is even below that of Oron and asked why they should be sent there, so I think Oron is on the right track at the moment. I am aware that they are getting more simulators, already they have bridge simulator, they are expecting a cargo operation simulator as well as engine room simulator, they are now having professionals as lecturers, master mariners and marine engineers are there as trainers, most of the lecturers have also developed themselves, they now have PhD holders there, I think they are on the right track and to me I think they will become a University soon.
Tunji Obagbo (POTEMAN)
The Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) in Oron is still trying to work harder in order to meet international trend, they have not got there yet, if they have got it right we will not be sending 1000 cadets abroad under NSDP. We are in the ear of local content, it will be better for government to use this money used to train people abroad to upgrade MAN Oron, equip them and let them have that international standard, but the problem we always have is confidence in ourselves, expatriates are coming to Nigeria to see how we are doing things here, but we keep sending our own people abroad.
Engineer Matthew Alalade (President, Merchant Navy)
Earlier when the school was established, training of cadets was its core mandate which I must say started on a right note thus it did well. But now I can say that they have not improved in terms of technological training of the cadets and I must say that from all indications based on what we have gathered as far as technology training is concerned MAN Oron has remained stagnant technology wise. You will agree with me that shipping is all about upgrade of hi-tech facility, so I think government should encourage the school because it is static in the area of technology.
Chris Sadoh (Stars Maritime Academy)
We are not out to scandalise any institution or individuals, but MAN Oron as a government owned academy has not contributed to the human development as expected. Even as we speak there are lot of cases we hear that the school is not organised in terms of training and even the students that graduate from there are not given adequate audience by employers. So in my own view as a government school, we expected that there will be result from there at any given point in time and that by now MAN Oron is supposed to be school that ought to have been recognised worldwide.
Ismail Aniemu (Maritime Reporter)
I have heard, listened and read about the Rector speaking about the school. If you have visited the academy in the last two years, you will agree with me that it is improved in terms of rapid infrastructure and manpower upgrade. Trainers are being retrained and trainees’ quality of training has also improved, so the effort of the management of the school to secure sea time opportunity for cadets is also a step in the right direction. With that, you can see that the academy is doing its best under the rector of the school to provide the needed manpower to help Nigeria achieve its desire to become one of the best maritime nations in the world.
Eniola Odulaja (stakeholder)
From all indications, it is obvious that MAN Oron has improved drastically under Okpo; the rector and his management team and with his new idea of training cadets with the academy fund is a legacy on its own. However, the initiative will also bring about competency on the part of the trainees, thus it is a right step in the right direction. By and large, the federal government needs to encourage them financially to get world-class recognition.
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