NIMASA, MAN Council move to upgrade Nigeria’s maritime human capital

 

Maureen Aguta

 

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, have moved to strengthen their partnership on seafarer training as part of efforts to upgrade Nigeria’s maritime human capital and improve the global competitiveness of its seafarers.

 

The move followed a working session at the NIMASA headquarters in Lagos during a visit by the Governing Council of MAN, led by its Chairman, Engr. Kehinde Olayinka Akinola.

 

Speaking during the meeting, NIMASA Director-General, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, stressed the need for effective collaboration between the agency and the Academy, describing human capital development as critical to the growth of Nigeria’s Blue Economy.

 

Mobereola disclosed that NIMASA was undertaking a comprehensive review of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) 2017 curriculum for maritime training institutions across the country.

 

He said the review was necessary because Nigerian maritime training institutions had operated with outdated curricula for more than three decades.
“For over 32 years, Nigerian training institutions have been operating with obsolete curricula,” Mobereola said.

 

According to him, NIMASA would ensure that the revised curriculum is benchmarked against globally accepted standards to enhance the quality of training and ensure that certificates issued to Nigerian seafarers receive international recognition.

 

The NIMASA boss reiterated the agency’s commitment to supporting the training and advancement of Nigerian seafarers through MAN Oron, noting that a well-trained maritime workforce was indispensable to the development of the country’s Blue Economy.

 

Earlier, Akinola said MAN Oron had state-of-the-art facilities and remained one of the leading maritime training institutions in Africa.

 

He commended NIMASA for its continued support to the Academy, disclosing that MAN Oron had developed a five-year development plan aimed at further strengthening its capacity.

 

A key component of the plan, he said, was the acquisition of a training vessel to provide cadets with enhanced practical experience and improve the quality of their sea-time training.

 

Akinola also disclosed that the Liberian Maritime Authority and a Liberian maritime training institution, which recently visited MAN Oron, had expressed interest in collaborating with the Academy to create opportunities for Nigerian seafarers to undertake sea-time training aboard Liberian-flagged vessels.

He said the proposed partnership would provide Nigerian cadets with additional opportunities to acquire practical experience at sea, while strengthening their competitiveness in the international maritime labour market.

 

The collaboration between NIMASA and MAN Oron is expected to deepen efforts to align Nigeria’s maritime training system with international standards and create a stronger pipeline of skilled Nigerian seafarers for the global shipping industry.