The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has again reiterated its commitment to the development of maritime capacity for the growth of the nation’s maritime sector.
The Director General of the Agency, Dr. Dakuku Peterside said this while presenting a paper on “NIMASA’s Efforts towards Human Capacity Development in the Maritime Industry” at a one day sensitization forum organised by Platform Communications to engender students’ interest in shipping in Lagos recently.
Dr. Peterside who was represented at the event by the agency’s Director of Maritime Labour Services Mrs. Juliana Gunwa explained that the Act setting up NIMASA specifically highlighted the functions of the Agency to include human capacity building which was evident in the successes recorded in the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP).
According to the DG, the NSDP was specially designed to stimulate youths to pick up careers at sea as a result of the ageing corps of Nigerian seafarers.
He charged youths to take a keener interest in the opportunities in the maritime industry emphasising that the sector provided great prospects for employment generation and wealth creation.
Dr. Peterside also called on relevant stakeholders to collaborate with the agency by putting those young NSDP cadets on board their vessels in order to gain the requisite sea time.
“The NSDP was initiated to arrest the dearth of trained seafarers in the Nigerian Maritime Sector which arose from the liquidation of the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL). The indigenous shipowners also have to play their role to support the agency’s drive to build human capacity”, the DG said.
He recalled that the NSDP programme had 2, 259 students in various Universities abroad, out of which 503 students had graduated from various universities in Egypt, United Kingdoms and the Philippines respectively.
According to him,”96 graduates are ready for the labour market while 407 have concluded their academic work and awaiting the compulsory one year sea time training and the Certificate of Competency (COC)”.
Also speaking at the event, the President of the Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Engr. Greg Ogbeifun commended the management of NIMASA led by the Dr. Peterside saying the DG has made the agency more vibrant.
He praised the Agency’s painstaking commitment in encouraging youths who were the future of the Nigerian maritime industry.
The one day programme which was organised by Platform Communications tagged “The Youths and the Future of Nigeria’s maritime industry” to commemorate the Children’s Day celebration was aimed at exposing the youths to the opportunities available in the maritime industry.
Photo Caption: From Left to right: Representative of the Registrar of CFRFFN, Ifeayin Joseph , Representative of the DG NIMASA and Director Maritime Labour Services of the Agency, Mrs J.A Gunwa, Engr. Greg Ogbeifun President Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Pioneer Rector of MAN Oron, Engr. Olu Akinsoji and Former Chairman Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority, Dr. Chris Asoluka During a programme on the youth and the future of the Nigerian Maritime Industry held in Lagos recently.
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