Expert Commends Oyedepo’s Plan To Float Maritime University

A maritime expert, Mr Olu Akinsoji, has hailed the plan by a cleric, Bishop David Oyedepo, to establish a maritime university in Nigeria.
Oyedepo is the General Overseer of the Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners Chapel) and the Chancellor, Covenant University, Ota in Ogun.
Akinsoji, a former Sole Administrator, Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, Akwa Ibom, said in Lagos that the proposal was a right step in the right direction

A maritime expert, Mr Olu Akinsoji, has hailed the plan by a cleric, Bishop David Oyedepo, to establish a maritime university in Nigeria.
Oyedepo is the General Overseer of the Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners Chapel) and the Chancellor, Covenant University, Ota in Ogun.
Akinsoji, a former Sole Administrator, Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, Akwa Ibom, said in Lagos that the proposal was a right step in the right direction
“The United Nations Development Programme showed in its statistics that the only way Nigeria and Ghana could enter the global market is through human capacity building.
“The bishop is on the right track,’’ he said.
Akinsoji, a marine engineer, said that graduates of the proposed university would be able to find jobs in the local and international markets, if well trained.
“The maritime is a very big industry; you have a lot of employment opportunities in the industry.
“Everything in maritime has an element of specialisation,’’ he said, noting that the specialised areas included the economics of shipping and marine engineering.
According to Akinsoji, these areas of specialisation need research.
 “We do not have any research centre for laying of pipes under water, maintenance of platforms and even exploitation of crude oil.
“If a university is established, definitely, there will be research work, and that is a way forward into capacity building.
“There is also the external component which is the global politics in shipping. This is another area that needs a lot of specialisation, ‘’ he said.
Akinsoji urged encouragement of entrepreneurs and groups wishing to establish institutions where Nigerians could acquire specialised knowledge.
“We know there will be less bureaucratic bottlenecks and political influence in the process of establishing the private university,’’ the maritime expert said.
He urged that planning of the university be done in collaboration with stakeholders in the maritime industry “because it will be an industrial institution’’.
“It must also be done with the cooperation of multi-national companies that have economic interests in the country and have large employment capacities.
“He must also talk to the government on policy matters so that he will take advantage of existing laws,’’ he said.