NIMASA Reiterates Commitment To Empower Seafarers

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has reiterated its commitment to ensuring that more youths in the country are empowered with adequate maritime training.
The maritime regulatory agency has also said that in no distance future, Nigerian seafarers will compete favourably with other notable seafaring nations of the world.

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has reiterated its commitment to ensuring that more youths in the country are empowered with adequate maritime training.
The maritime regulatory agency has also said that in no distance future, Nigerian seafarers will compete favourably with other notable seafaring nations of the world.
Addressing journalists in Lagos at a rally put together by the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) to thank President Goodluck Jonathan for his empowerment on the union, Director General of NIMASA, Mr  Patrick Akpobolokemi said that the agency will continue to support the youths with seafaring training and that government is set to train more youths locally and internationally.
He said that government has invested immensely in training seafarers and that the agency is unrelenting to train more Nigerians.
The DG noted that the first batch of seafarers who were sent overseas are expected to graduate with Bachelors Degrees in order for them to become qualified master mariners, marine surveyors and others.
According to him, special thanks must be given to President Goodluck Jonathan for his support in training thousands of seafarers.
"We have sent thousands of them out of this country for training, in BSC so that they can become master mariners, surveyors etc."
"Right now, they are in different parts of the world. We are training dock workers, we are training ratings, we are training seafarers and it is a continuous process", Akpobolokemi stated.
He further added that “we will give ourselves the next few years, then we will be talking like the Philippines, the Asian Tigers in terms of capability in seafaring".
The NIMASA helmsman added that seafarers and dockworkers are critical stakeholders in the maritime sector who need to be taken care of as parts of the agency's social responsibilities.