• Eyes 1,000 Niger Delta Youths for NSDP
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) may have caught the biggest fish in its nationwide campaign to attract young Nigerians into sea faring as a profession with its celebrated National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP).
Industry sources hinted last week that arrangements are already in top gear for about 1,000 Niger Delta youths to benefit from the programme which has so far seen Nigerian youths from Ondo, Benue, Ekiti and Ebonyi States (among others) travel to maritime institutions in India and Egypt for nautical, marine engineering and other associated courses.
The programme which was designed in response to the global campaign by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) tagged “Go To Sea” is expected to be jointly funded by NIMASA and state governments in the ration of 40:60 per cent for beneficiaries of the high profile foreign training programme.
Shipping Position Weekly confirmed last week that a top – level meeting has already been held between the director general of NIMASA, Mr Temisan Omatseye and the managing director of NDDC, Mr Chibuzor Ugwoha on how to actualise the programme for the nine member-states of NDDC.
Our source also confirmed that a technical committee comprising of officials of the two federal agencies have already been constituted to work out details and sort out commitments of both parties.
Sources at NIMASA however hinted that a whooping $20,000 annually per trainee (which translates to about N9Billion) is expected to be expended by the two agencies for the three year programme.
A source at the meeting between the two chief executives disclosed that the duo were very eager to get the programme started, even as our correspondent learnt that Governors of the NNDC states are also to be carried along.
It was however gathered that unlike the previous beneficiaries who are presently studying in India and Egypt, the beneficiaries from Niger Delta are likely to be sent to nautical institutions in Asia and Europe.
But confirming the development to Shipping Position Weekly late on Friday last week, Omatseye revealed that the partnership with NDDC is part of the agency’s plans to key into the Federal Government’s post-amnesty plans for Niger Delta youths.
“We are still working out modalities on where the trainees will go for their programmes, you know it is not going to be that easy getting that for 1,000 youths, but we are on top of it”, he assured.
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