Merchant Navy Charges Parents To Encourage Female Maritime Education

The Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association has advised parents to encourage their female children to embrace maritime training to boost the quest for gender equality in the maritime sector.
National President of the body, Engineer Matthew Alalade gave the advice at the end of year ceremony / Passing Out Parade of the final year cadets of Stars Maritime Academy [SMA] in Ogun State over the weekend.

The Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association has advised parents to encourage their female children to embrace maritime training to boost the quest for gender equality in the maritime sector.
National President of the body, Engineer Matthew Alalade gave the advice at the end of year ceremony / Passing Out Parade of the final year cadets of Stars Maritime Academy [SMA] in Ogun State over the weekend.
Alalade, who also chaired the occasion, lamented the low turnout of female cadets graduating from the private maritime training institution, even as he added that there is an urgent need for the government to encourage youths to embrace maritime education in the country.
The president also urged the outgoing cadets to be of good behavior whenever they are engaged onboard vessels, pointing out that they are seen as ambassadors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He also told the minister of transport; Senator, Idris Umar to encourage private maritime institutions, adding that there is also the need to encourage non-government institutions in the country.
 ‘’Maritime in Nigeria is a profession that will take the youths to the highest place; the world over and in maritime education today, it is very gladdening to see that private institutions are performing more than expected, but we are still imploring the federal government through the minister of transport to encourage the private institutions’’, he stressed.
Alalade also called on the federal government to look into the area of floating a national carrier to assist seafarers in training and also to contribute to government revenue.