Former President of the Nigerian Merchant Navy Senior Officers and Water Transport
Association, Captain Thomas Kemewerigha has advised that the Federal Government should compel all shipping companies trading in Nigeria to employ cadets from maritime institutions in the country on board their vessels.
Kemewerigha in a chat with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos said that with such policy in place, unemployment in the country will be reduced to its barest minimum.
Former President of the Nigerian Merchant Navy Senior Officers and Water Transport
Association, Captain Thomas Kemewerigha has advised that the Federal Government should compel all shipping companies trading in Nigeria to employ cadets from maritime institutions in the country on board their vessels.
Kemewerigha in a chat with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos said that with such policy in place, unemployment in the country will be reduced to its barest minimum.
"Our students don't have vessels to carry out their sea time, if that sea time avenue is made possible for cadets, I can bet that Nigeria can produce 150 officers COC yearly", he stated.
"NIMASA registers vessels and today, NIMASA can tell us all the operational vessels in our Cabotage regime or those that are operating in our territorial waters that have dealings with them"
"If you come for any registration with NIMASA and you have two vessels operating, offshore, coastal tankers and even LPSO's and they employ two cadets; one engineer ,one deck officer ,it will go a long way in reducing the number of cadets looking for sea time ".
Kemewerigha said that the multinational shipping lines trade in the nation's maritime domain without giving back to the country.
He urged the apex maritime industry regulatory agency to involve the unions in the maritime sector to get a database of all shipping companies and strategize on how to compel the multinationals to absorb at least two Nigerian cadets to work aboard their vessels as part of the requirements.
He said 80% of foreign flag ships that call at the nation's ports must comply to government policies, adding that sea time experience will become a thing of the past, making the Nigerian seafarers and cadets much competent.
The ex-president lamented that, "things are getting out of hand, even the students that went abroad to study are still looking for vessels to get sea time experience".
"Every year, MAN, Oron produces over 300 engineers and deck officers who might have completed their diploma in nautical sciences or marine engineering, and out this figure only 50 might be opportuned to have sea time to continue their professional exams while the remaining will continue to look for vessels".
He also called on NIMASA to carry out a random enforcement exercise in ensuring that shipping companies comply to absorb Nigerian cadets aboard their vessels.
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