Engr Hugh Nwaneri belongs to the class of those who are determined to ensure that there is qualitative maritime training in Nigeria. In this interview with Roland Ekama, he talks about his Elkins Marine and a lot of maritime sector issues.
Tell us about yourself
Engr Hugh Nwaneri belongs to the class of those who are determined to ensure that there is qualitative maritime training in Nigeria. In this interview with Roland Ekama, he talks about his Elkins Marine and a lot of maritime sector issues.
Tell us about yourself
I am from Imo State, I did my secondary school in Port Harcourt and I could recall that I did very well at school and from there, I moved to Nigerian National Shipping Line, they trained me and I passed all the exams and then joined Merchant Navy officers which I left for other companies before setting up my school which I want to believe is doing well at the moment. It started as Elkins Marine before it was changed to Elkins Marine Training International.
We learnt that your training institute will soon move to Owerri; please kindly share the experience with us?
The school has been in existence for a while now I mean to say that it has being on for about 10 years in a very small space and we consider Owerri as a place with lots of opportunities. We have at least three plots of land compared to where we are in Lagos and if you look at Owerri, it is close to the coastal city of Port Harcourt which is just 40 miles away, also we thought that it will be better for us to be there because it is located in a strategic position in the state. Many people have seen the school, though it is not yet in operation, but people have been commending the progress of the construction work, the design and the purpose of the institution. I want to believe that the school will swing into action this year hopefully.
When you say this year, can you be precise or specific about it?
Probably by December or by his grace in January, 2013, it will commence full operations and may be before that time things might change as well .We intend to open with at least five big classrooms for the sake of convenience comfort and a serene ambience for the cadets.
What kind of training is expected from the school?
We will run all the basic courses and at the same time we will try to run the cadetship courses as well for cadets, but we will commence with training like basic safety training, which include fire fighting that is basic fire fighting, basic swimming and other basic training courses, until the school when the school will be in full swing.
To what extent has NIMASA contributed the progress of your school?
The Nigeria Maritime Administration Safety Agency [NIMASA] is supposed to support us, but it is sad to say that they are doing nothing about it, we are building this school and NIMASA is aware about it because some of their official have been to the place and seen it .I have been congratulated severally by them, but no encouragement from the apex maritime agency. Nobody has asked about the major source of funding the school, how we have been able to cope with funding. The institute is solely funded by me and no other person.
What is your assessment of maritime institutions in Nigeria?
I cannot assess Nigeria maritime institutions because everybody has to evaluate his or are own institution. We have some maritime institutions that are safety training maritime institutions whereby when you find out what they are actually into, it is something else. Truly I do not need to talk about institutions in the maritime industry.
What is your view about the allegation that Nigerian seafarers are not globally recognized?
Who said Nigerian seafarers are not recognized globally? The set of training given to them that is in Nigeria and the training giving to them overseas play a major role when it comes to recognition. However everyone believes that his or her own training is the best, but when you take your time to investigate these schools that are into the training of seafarers, you will find out that only few schools can meet international standard. In our own case, we offer training to international standards whereby the trainer or instructor comes all the way from overseas to impart knowledge on the students or the cadets as the case may be .In our own case we train, set the exams and ensure that we set to international standard that are of level, the training obtainable at Elkins Marine is of international standard.
What is your take on the liquidation of the Nigeria National Shipping Line?
They said they do not want the line to be in existence again and if they wanted the line to be in existence then they will keep it up to standard. In the area of the whether it is good for the country or not, I will say that it goes both ways. But from my own view, it is good to have some national lines because if we have dedicated people at the helm of affairs who are sincere with themselves and who will manage the organisation with honesty, then why not? But in a situation whereby it is being resuscitated and corruption is the order of the day, then I will say there is no need to float another national shipping line. If we have something solid when we are talking national line then we should endeavour to define what we really want, because one thing is to come with these vessels called national carrier another thing is to sustain it and maintain it, you must state clearly the purpose of its being set up.
What has been your challenges as the chief executive officer of Elkins marine training international viz- a- viz the project on ground?
Elkins Marine International is more than ten years old and truly I must be sincere right here. The school at Owerri is my main headache for now; I have sleepless night all the years because of the school. The problem is truly about the completion of that school because I want a situation whereby the school will become history. Though we are building it and we will definitely complete it by His grace. If I can be able to get a whooping sum of N15 million, then Elkins Marine will commence operation in the month of July or August. The challenge for me is to get the school or nothing else and with that we all know that fund is the issue. I want a situation whereby people will come and see for themselves, a school built by me.
MAN, Oron has been described as a glorified secondary school, but do you think that the school is living up to expectations?
The Maritime Academy of Nigeria is a very good maritime school, but the management of the school is the major problem. However if the school can be concessioned to the private company, then we are not too far from a change. At least if government can take a bold step to provide funds to private organization for them to put that place in order, then you will agree with me that the foremost maritime school will improve and move to the next level. A school where the leadership always come from one part of the country, what do you expect? I mean the position of a rector; if that school is privatized, I bet you, things will change for the better.
Are you trying to say that MAN, Oron should be in the hands of a private firm?
If government would be able to put it into consideration, why not, it is the only way that school can grow, it is then that people will see the best of MAN, Oron and if government can consult the services of technocrats locally and internationally to takeover and manage the school, things will change; mark my words. MAN is a good school for maritime training, but there is problem .The problem of MAN, Oron is what we also encounter in our tertiary institutions where the system is effectively on point.
How can you assess the National Seafarers Development Programme and NIMASA in the area of training?
They are yet to train students, so what is it all about, I know they train students from Oron, but they have not trained our own. The training as far as I am concerned is a total failure. What it takes for that programme to succeed is for the government to intervene and give it to private hands as well, because it is not everybody that is benefitting from it, can anybody come to say that his state has benefitted? As far as I am concerned, Elkins marine is not out there for money, but to render the best when it comes to maritime training.
The institution will soon move to its permanent site in Imo state, what has been the support of the state government?
I could say that they supported me by issuing me the land which I thanked them for that support, but that support does not mean it was for free because I paid the sum of N2 million, but it is still an encouragement for me. Former and present governors have heard about the school and recently I met with the economy adviser to the governor who told me that they will look into it and find out what they can do to assist, but I am not looking at that at all because I am focused on what I am doing. I do not want anybody to mess me up.
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