Scores of maritime students staged a peaceful protest recently at the headquarters of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA in Victoria Island, Lagos, calling on the agency to address the growing unemployment crisis among maritime graduates.
Chanting solidarity songs and brandishing placards with inscriptions such as “#Train Cadet Locally and Improve the Maritime University”, “#We Lack Sea Time Experience” “#Enough is Enough, We need Jobs for Maritime Graduates” and others, the protesting students decried the lack of sea time training and job placements, which they described as a major hindrance to pursuing careers in seafaring.
The visibly aggrieved cadets, drawn from different maritime institutions across the country, expressed deep frustration over the neglect they’ve faced after graduation, citing how many have remained idle despite completing their academic requirements.
“We are tired of staying at home with our certificates,” one of the protesters said. “Without sea time experience, we can’t get our Certificates of Competency, CoC, and without that, we can’t work as professionals. How are we supposed to grow the maritime sector this way?”
They urged NIMASA and relevant stakeholders to create sustainable pathways for cadet training, particularly through local sea time opportunities, and to invest more in the capacity of maritime universities in Nigeria.
The protest remained peaceful as the students emphasized that their intention was not to disrupt activities but to appeal to the conscience of authorities responsible for their career development.
As at press time, NIMASA was yet to issue an official response to the demonstration.
Photo: A cross-section of the protesting maritime students at the NIMASA headquarters recently.
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