Source: Daily Sun
The Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, Mr Nseyen Ebong is saddened by Nigeria ’s inability to fully utilise its potentialities in the maritime sector despite its intimidating credentials.
Ebong told The Sun after the meeting of the governing council of the institution in Uyo, that Nigeria has all the potentialities to be a key player in the international maritime industries, that was why the International Maritime Organization (IMO) still respects the country in spite of her not utilising such opportunities.
“ Nigeria is a respectable and credible member of that international body from inception; that is why we’re respected. And again, they respect Nigeria because of her potentials; a country our size which has a intimidating coastline of 800 nautical miles from Lagos to Calabar, a network of internal waterways of 3000 kilometres, a population of 140 million speaking the language of shipping which is English language. What else can we be thinking of? We should be in the category of ship-building nations as Japan, South Korea as China. We should be in the category of ship-farer nations like the Philippines . So the criteria of Nigeria are intimidating.
“That is why at international maritime forums, when Nigeria speak, people must listen.”
Ebong however regretted that the Maritime Academy which is the only maritime training institution in the country has not received adequate funding compared to the increasing demand for admission by students.
“When people begin to be properly sensitized to support the academy the gap left due to the rejection of Nigerian trained maritime personnel, would be filled.
“What we are saying is, support MAN Oron. If we say we need training ship, give it to us; if we say we need simulator, give it to us; if we say we need money, give it to us. Let us then see who will come and say somebody trained in MAN Oron is not well trained. Is it not the same maritime laws that govern the training of maritime personnel in other countries we are using? Are they using different standards? That is the excuse they have been using. That is what we’ve been telling Nigerians - give serious attention to MAN and some of the problems will be solved.
Ebong however enthused that some of the institution’s problem are already being solved as there is a rush for the academy’s graduates by maritime employers of labour even before performing the passing out ceremony.
The chairman of the governing council of the academy, Mr Dumo Lulu-Briggs echoed the rector’s enthusiasm that things are beginning to get better for the academy as the minister for transport had directed NIMASA to release the funds owed the institution. When fully computed, he said it would be about N4 billion.
“We also have projects for which the money would be spent especially the improvement of our infrastructure because we need to admit more students. We are looking at a possible 10,000 applications for admission for the next session. That’s huge somehow and we don’t have the infrastructure to take in that number assuming that it happens. We are building some hostels now but that will not be enough.”
Lulu-Briggs said though the Federal Government had directed that there should be no more projects, the academy was undertaking the projects with internally generated revenue even as it is working out partnership with some agencies like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and some state governments in the federation.
“This is the premier and only maritime academy that we have in Nigeria and it’s not the best today even in Africa . So there is a need for us to come up with a plan such that in the next three to four years, this academy will be able to compete not with academies in Africa but with academies in Europe .
“We are thinking of positioning the academy properly. Things like hostels, like classrooms are what we are looking at. We are thinking of having a training ship which is mandatory for cadet to go for one year training on board vessels. We don’t have that now.
We also don’t have a national carrier; we don’t have shipping line as we had before, we have discussed with the minister who promised to link us up with the NNPC.”
The chairman expressed his concern that none of the ships lift oil in Nigeria belongs to a Nigerian, which is why he would like the NNPC to make it mandatory for such to take the cadets of the academy on their board for the one-year training
The Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, Mr Nseyen Ebong is saddened by Nigeria ’s inability to fully utilise its potentialities in the maritime sector despite its intimidating credentials.
Ebong told The Sun after the meeting of the governing council of the institution in Uyo, that Nigeria has all the potentialities to be a key player in the international maritime industries, that was why the International Maritime Organization (IMO) still respects the country in spite of her not utilising such opportunities.
“ Nigeria is a respectable and credible member of that international body from inception; that is why we’re respected. And again, they respect Nigeria because of her potentials; a country our size which has a intimidating coastline of 800 nautical miles from Lagos to Calabar, a network of internal waterways of 3000 kilometres, a population of 140 million speaking the language of shipping which is English language. What else can we be thinking of? We should be in the category of ship-building nations as Japan, South Korea as China. We should be in the category of ship-farer nations like the Philippines . So the criteria of Nigeria are intimidating.
“That is why at international maritime forums, when Nigeria speak, people must listen.”
Ebong however regretted that the Maritime Academy which is the only maritime training institution in the country has not received adequate funding compared to the increasing demand for admission by students.
“When people begin to be properly sensitized to support the academy the gap left due to the rejection of Nigerian trained maritime personnel, would be filled.
“What we are saying is, support MAN Oron. If we say we need training ship, give it to us; if we say we need simulator, give it to us; if we say we need money, give it to us. Let us then see who will come and say somebody trained in MAN Oron is not well trained. Is it not the same maritime laws that govern the training of maritime personnel in other countries we are using? Are they using different standards? That is the excuse they have been using. That is what we’ve been telling Nigerians - give serious attention to MAN and some of the problems will be solved.
Ebong however enthused that some of the institution’s problem are already being solved as there is a rush for the academy’s graduates by maritime employers of labour even before performing the passing out ceremony.
The chairman of the governing council of the academy, Mr Dumo Lulu-Briggs echoed the rector’s enthusiasm that things are beginning to get better for the academy as the minister for transport had directed NIMASA to release the funds owed the institution. When fully computed, he said it would be about N4 billion.
“We also have projects for which the money would be spent especially the improvement of our infrastructure because we need to admit more students. We are looking at a possible 10,000 applications for admission for the next session. That’s huge somehow and we don’t have the infrastructure to take in that number assuming that it happens. We are building some hostels now but that will not be enough.”
Lulu-Briggs said though the Federal Government had directed that there should be no more projects, the academy was undertaking the projects with internally generated revenue even as it is working out partnership with some agencies like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and some state governments in the federation.
“This is the premier and only maritime academy that we have in Nigeria and it’s not the best today even in Africa . So there is a need for us to come up with a plan such that in the next three to four years, this academy will be able to compete not with academies in Africa but with academies in Europe .
“We are thinking of positioning the academy properly. Things like hostels, like classrooms are what we are looking at. We are thinking of having a training ship which is mandatory for cadet to go for one year training on board vessels. We don’t have that now.
We also don’t have a national carrier; we don’t have shipping line as we had before, we have discussed with the minister who promised to link us up with the NNPC.”
The chairman expressed his concern that none of the ships lift oil in Nigeria belongs to a Nigerian, which is why he would like the NNPC to make it mandatory for such to take the cadets of the academy on their board for the one-year training
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