Maritime University Starts Soon

Fri, Jun 12, 2015

By publisher

3 MIN READ

– 

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency says that the Maritime University will soon start academic activities and that the agency has trained 2500 Nigerians in Nautical Science and other maritime causes abroad

THE Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, is addressing the problem of the dearth of manpower in the maritime sector. The federal government has established the Maritime University which will take off soon. NIMASA has also sponsored more than 2,500 young Nigerians for training in nautical science, naval architecture and marine engineering in reputable institutions in Egypt, India, Philippines, Romania and the United Kingdom under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme. The agency has also established institutes of maritime studies in six Nigerian universities namely, University of Lagos, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Niger Delta University, Amasoma, Bayelsa State, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, Anambra State University, Uli, and the Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State.

Ziakede Akpobolokemi, director-general, NIMASA, acknowledged the dearth of manpower in the sector in Asaba, during a courtesy visit by members of NIMASA’s management team and the governing council of the Nigeria Maritime University, to Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta State governor.

Akpobolokemi said that the maritime industry is lacking qualified manpower, adding that: “NIMASA conceived the concept of a maritime university to guarantee sustainable international training of qualified manpower for the maritime industry. The dearth of qualified manpower in the Nigerian maritime sector was the driving force behind the university project.”

Similarly, Viola Onwuliri, pro-chancellor of the maritime university, said the university would play a major role in providing adequate capacity to harness the Nigeria’s maritime potential. Onwuliri, immediate past minister of state for education, announced that the governing council was consulting with the Nigeria Universities Commission, NUC, and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, to ensure that academic activities would commence during the next academic session.

The federal government recently approved a governing council for the institution, headed by Onwuliri. Maureen Etebu was also appointed as the vice chancellor while Anho Lucky was named as the registrar. The maritime university at Okerenkoko, Delta State, is considered as part of the solutions to the dearth of seafarers in the country.

Earlier, Governor Okowa said the emphasis being placed on conventional universities in Nigeria at the detriment of specialised universities was largely responsible for the high rate of unemployment in the country. He said that specialised universities would provide the right tools to equip graduates with the requisite technical abilities needed to create employment after completing their studies.

Okowa said, “Nigeria should move beyond conventional universities and seek to establish specialised universities, which would give the right tools and practical learning that would make graduates employers of labour rather than job seekers. The high rate of unemployment in Nigeria today is largely due to our focus on conventional education.” He commended the management of NIMASA for its vision in establishing the university and urged other agencies of the government to think outside the box, and toe NIMASA’s path.

— Jun 22, 2015 @ 01:00 GMT

|