By Seun Ibiyemi
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has announced plans to review Nigeria’s maritime training curriculum to align it with globally accepted standards and improve the international recognition of certificates issued to Nigerian seafarers.
Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, disclosed this when the Governing Board of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, led by its Chairman, Engr. Kehinde Olayinka Akinola, paid a working visit to the agency’s corporate headquarters in Lagos.
L-R, Board Chairman, Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Oron, Engr. Kehinde Akinola; Director General/CEO, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola; Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, NIMASA, Mr Jibril Abba and Ag. Rector MAN, Oron, Dr Kelvin Okonna during a working visit by the management of MAN Oron to the NIMASA headquarters in Lagos
Mobereola said effective collaboration between NIMASA and the Maritime Academy of Nigeria was critical to strengthening seafarer training and developing the human capital required to drive Nigeria’s blue economy.
According to him, the agency is currently working on a review of the 2017 Standard Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) curriculum used by maritime training institutions across the country.
The NIMASA DG noted that Nigerian maritime training institutions had operated with outdated curricula for more than three decades, stressing the need to benchmark the country’s training system against leading global standards.
“For over 32 years, Nigerian training institutions have been operating with obsolete curricula. NIMASA is determined to review the curriculum and benchmark against the very best globally acceptable standard,” Mobereola said.
He explained that the reform was aimed at ensuring that certificates obtained by Nigerian seafarers receive wider international recognition and improve their opportunities within the global maritime labour market.
L-R, Executive Director Operations, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Engr. Fatai Adeyemi; Representative of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Oron, Mrs Inja Husseini; Board Chairman, MAN, Oron. Engr. Kehinde Akinola; Director General/CEO, NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola; Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, NIMASA, Mr Jibril Abba and Ag. Rector MAN Oron, Dr Kelvin Okonna during a working visit by the management of MAN Oron to the NIMASA headquarters in Lagos
Mobereola further reaffirmed NIMASA’s commitment to supporting the training and promotion of Nigerian seafarers through the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, stressing that human capital development remained a critical component of the country’s blue economy ambitions.
Responding, the Chairman of the MAN Governing Board, Akinola, said the Academy was equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and remained one of the leading maritime training institutions in Africa.
He appreciated NIMASA for its continued support for the Academy and disclosed that MAN, Oron, had developed a five-year development plan aimed at strengthening its capacity and improving practical training for cadets.
READ ALSO: NISO moves to sanction DisCos over outstanding electricity market debts
Akinola said one of the key components of the plan was the acquisition of a training vessel, which would provide cadets with enhanced opportunities for practical maritime training.
He also disclosed that the Liberian Maritime Administration and a Liberian maritime training institute, which recently visited the Academy, had expressed interest in establishing a partnership with MAN, Oron.
Director General/CEO, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola presenting a souvenir to the Board Chairman, Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Oron, Engr. Kehinde Akinola during a working visit by the management of MAN Oron to the NIMASA headquarters in Lagos
According to him, the proposed collaboration could provide opportunities for Nigerian seafarers to undertake sea-time training onboard Liberian-flagged vessels.
He said the initiative would give Nigerian cadets additional practical experience while strengthening their competitiveness in the international maritime labour market.
The proposed reforms and partnerships are expected to strengthen Nigeria’s maritime manpower development and support the country’s efforts to maximise the economic opportunities available in the global blue economy.
