President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to flag-off Nigeria’s first specialised university for the maritime sector as part of his tour of the facilities of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to flag-off Nigeria’s first specialised university for the maritime sector as part of his tour of the facilities of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
During the visit, the President will also be conducted round the state-of-the-art facilities at the temporary site of Nigeria Maritime University at Kurutie, while also performing the ground-breaking of the permanent site, located at Okerenkoko, both in Warri Southwest Local Government Area of Delta State. The events hold on May 10, 2014.
According to NIMASA Director-General, Mr. Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi, President Jonathan will similarly perform the ground-breaking of NIMASA Dockyard and Shipyard, also sited at Okerenkoko, which is expected to build and maintain various sizes of vessels.
After conducting the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar round the facilities recently, the NIMASA Director-General stated that the Nigeria Maritime University, which is expected to commence academic activities at the temporary site in Kurutie in September, would provide the human capacity required for the maritime sector in addition to serving as a research and knowledge centre. “The Shipyard facility will similarly compliment this objective,” he further said.
The Minister commended NIMASA for the pace of work at the temporary site of the university and the take-off of construction activities at Okerenkoko where the NIMASA Dockyard and Shipyard as well as the permanent site of the university is located.
The dearth of human capacity in the maritime sector occasioned by inadequate maritime training institutions in Nigeria was a major reason that influenced the decision of the National Assembly to endorse the recommendation of NIMASA to establish a maritime university, Mr Akpobolokemi said.
The establishment of Nigeria Maritime University is in furtherance of NIMASA’s passion for building local capacity in the maritime sector and ultimately for the export of manpower. Its Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) has graduated 51 cadets, while about 2,505 officers and ratings are undergoing various maritime academic programmes in reputable institutions in Philippines, Egypt, India, Romania and the United Kingdom.
NIMASA has also sponsored Maritime Institutes in four Nigerian universities – University of Lagos, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Niger Delta University, Amasoma, Bayelsa State, and Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, while the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron continues to enjoy funding from NIMASA even outside the statutory funding requirement as enshrined in the NIMASA Act 2007.
The NIMASA Director-General said that these capacity development initiatives would quicken the pace for the development of human capacity that would conveniently take over the Cabotage trade in the very near future.
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