Contrary to what was given as the official reasons for going it alone on the National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), investigations have revealed that most states actually dumped the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) programme.
Conceived about four years ago as an interventionist programme to assist in shoring up the dwindling list of well trained and qualified seafarers, the NSDP has so far been endorsed by few states.
Contrary to what was given as the official reasons for going it alone on the National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), investigations have revealed that most states actually dumped the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) programme.
Conceived about four years ago as an interventionist programme to assist in shoring up the dwindling list of well trained and qualified seafarers, the NSDP has so far been endorsed by few states.
Insider sources within NIMASA admitted challenges in securing the nod of state governors, owing largely to the limited knowledge of those who were selling the project.
Our source disclosed that the decision to take over funding of the programme was a face-saving last minute strategy to ensure that it does not die.
“The truth is that after the euphoria that trailed the programme during Dosunmu (former DG), it was not well articulated and marketed by those who were saddled with the responsibility of convincing the state governors to buy into it”, our source stated last week.
He also explained that majority of those who were appointed as liaison officers at the states were square pegs in a round hole, adding that their selection was based personal connection with the top brass of the agency.
Shipping Position Daily confirmed that, apparently faced with the poor response from states, owing largely to the fact that the current management has been finding it difficult to key into the programme and take it further, the option of going it alone and turning it into a wholly NIMASA –sponsored programme was adopted.
However a stakeholder who preferred anonymity told our correspondent that NIMASA may find it difficult to go it alone, because according to him, it will cost Nigeria about $50,000 to train one cadet over a period of four years.
Confirming the new bent of the NSDP, NIMASA recently opened up and declared that it would take over full sponsorship of the programme, even as it assured that it “is open to candidates from all states of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)."
Although, application has closed for youths from all over the country to enroll for the programme, our correspondent could not confirm the criteria beyond the agency’s assurances that it will be fair to all irrespective of state of origin.
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