Apparently worried about the establishment of yet another maritime academy to be funded by the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency [NIMASA], stakeholders in the maritime industry have opposed the move to establish another government training institution.
A cross section of stakeholders expressed believed that the Maritime Academy of Nigeria [MAN] Oron, in Akwa Ibom state and other government training across the country need government support in order to compete with other international maritime institute.
Apparently worried about the establishment of yet another maritime academy to be funded by the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency [NIMASA], stakeholders in the maritime industry have opposed the move to establish another government training institution.
A cross section of stakeholders expressed believed that the Maritime Academy of Nigeria [MAN] Oron, in Akwa Ibom state and other government training across the country need government support in order to compete with other international maritime institute.
According to some industry players, who disclosed to Shipping Position Daily, in Lagos last week stressed the need for government to concentrate on some the problems that surrounds few of the maritime institution set up by the government.
Some of the challenges highlighted by them include, lack of funding, obsolete equipment for training of cadet and low level standard of certificate awarded in the academies.
Rector of Stars Maritime Academy, Chief Reuben Ovia called on the government to re-establish the Nigerian National Shipping Line to give Nigeria seafarers the opportunity of goimng o=b board vessel to gain knowledge and experience, rather than establishing a new governmental funded institute.
Ovia reiterated that with the establishment of a national carrier by the government is the solution to some of the problems that Nigeria cadets encounter.
He said that government should put in place measures of floating more fleets that can aid the country maritime industry in areas of capacity building and also to contribute the economy Gross Domestic Product [GDP].
The Star Maritime Academy boss however added that the move by NIMASA to establish another maritime Academy in country will create vacuum of negligence to other existing government- owned institutes, pointing out that graduates from maritime training institutes in the country are yet to be employed.
He called on government to assist and provide the necessary infrastructures that are unavailable in the schools to enhance good productivity of cadet.
In his reaction, Registrar, Nigeria Institute of Shipping, Mr. Chima Sampson said the existing maritime schools in the country are not up to standard thus government should embark on ways to revive some of the maritime academies.
“I am not in support for another maritime institute to be established and funded by government, and I think the one on ground should be well equipped with the right facilities. It is not all about building schools everywhere because we have problems of low standardization of our academies. The issue is not to float maritime institutes which I believe they will neglect at the end of the day ‘’.
Chima called on the federal government to have a re-think about the move to establish another academy as it will solve the problem of manpower development in the country.
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