Lucky Amiwero (CEO, Eyis Resources Ltd)
Lucky Amiwero (CEO, Eyis Resources Ltd)
Training a seafarer is not just about political training, we don't have the ships, it is not just to take them to the Philippines and back and you tell us they are seafarers, it takes a lot to train an engineer, a captain and a chief officer, but here we are we don't have the ships, who will employ these seafarers who have not been trained? What we have going on in the maritime sector today is 'political training', because we don't have the vessels for training. We have all it takes to build capacity in Nigeria but we are not doing it, the law says that NIMASA should create an enabling environment and put maritime infrastructures together. NIMASA is talking about building a maritime university today but this is not workable, they have not been able to develop MAN, Oron and they are building another university, are we a maritime nation? How many maritime universities do we have in the world? Do we have ships? It is easier to talk but I believe that man- Akpobolokemi does not understand what maritime university is all about.
Eugene Nweke (National President, NAGAFF)
This is a matter that requires serious attention, but it is not as if it has not been given attention in the past, it is just that certain policies of government are having political intrigues and it has not stood the test of time especially in capacity building and developing the seafarers to meet global standard. It is this aspect of politicking that we need to address. If NIMASA and NPA understand what green economy means, then they will know that there can never be any green economy without a revamped seafarers pool, they should also know that the seafarers cannot do much without the national carrier, there is no better way to equip the seafarer and make then viable than to give them the sea experience. Government should bring back the national line; we cannot say the resources to do this are not there. It is one thing to say that MAN Oron has trained people using the swimming pool, but this is not enough, there is still dearth in that aspect, so there must be strong policies with a roadmap.
Capt Niyi Labinjo (President, Shipowners Association)
A cadet that is brought onboard to get 'on-the-job-training' is not a seafarer; for example, all those people that NIMASA have sent abroad to Egypt, South Africa and so on are not yet seafarers, they will become seafarers` after they have finished their basic course and they now get on board to get their sea time. We need proper training and certification, if they are not properly trained, they cannot be employable, in the case of certification there must be integrity on the part of NIMASA; not a situation whereby we have so many people who bought their Certificate of Competence, when you buy a degree, if they place you on a task, you will not be able to perform and in the long run you must have done a lot of damage to the ship, the ship would have been parked at anchorage, it is the unqualified seafarers that are destroying the vessels. Another important thing is that, after you have got your Certificate of Competence, you must continue to attend developmental courses to upgrade yourself; a lot of our seafarers prefer to go through short cuts and this affects the flag.
Israel Mc Jerry (Seafarer)
If we leave the affairs of seafarers in the hands of politicians who present themselves as technocrats, much will not be achieved. We must therefore go back and look at the relevant sections of the NIMASA and NPA laws, we should look at the sections that have to do with human capacity development, we should review it and use it to reposition our seafarers. The master mariners navigating our waters are old and ageing without anyone groomed to take over from them, there must be a strong government policy to ensure that the seafarers are employable.
Captain Ben Bekes (Merchant Navy)
We should be mindful of the peculiarities of our society and environment while domestication/enforcing maritime convention as it affects seafarers in all aspects. What is most paramount is training of seafarers, but to train seafarers in Nigeria alone is very expensive, to get them updated and upgraded and ones issue of training can be addressed through government support, then issue bothering on engaging seafarers both locally or internationally will be easy. Certification of seafarers should be made less cumbersome. Rather than them been witch-hunted they should be encouraged and empowered to be well certified. It is very expensive to get them updated and upgraded.
Engineer Isaac Aikeroje (Rector GMA)
They must be well-trained in nautical schools, not just the conventional institutions that we have scattered everywhere without practical orientation for them, but they should also pass their STCW and have the Certificate of Competency (COC) at their disposal. I don't think the issues surrounding employment is the fault of the employers, rather the seafarers themselves because they are not well equipped academically and it calls for national concern
Barrister Emeka Akabogu (maritime Lawyer)
There are two important things which are most relevant to seafarers at the moment. One is their welfare which also relate to compensation, condition of work, how they are dealt with in issues surrounding incidents. Above all, it has to do with their welfare in all aspects. It is also important for advocacy to be put in place to enrich the seafarers towards ensuring that the needed statutory measures are put in place to enlighten and educate them better. The government also needs to expose them or assist them with regards to all kinds of training and upgrading courses.
Reverend Jonathan Nicol (President SALS)
Some of our seafarers are problematic to themselves due to their demands and as a result the ship owners or shipping companies have no option then to relief them of their jobs. If the seafarers themselves know what they want, then they should equip themselves academically and they should not be asking for the impossible when they are undergoing training from either the government or from the private sector. They should be patient enough to complete any form of training they embark upon so that they can serve as role models to others in the future and with that they can get good employment at the end. I believe that right training and qualification of seafarers in Nigeria will also reshape the maritime sector for future prospects.
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