The Governing Council of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, led by its Chairman, Engr. Kehinde Olayinka Akinola, visited the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) at its corporate headquarters in Lagos for a working session focused on strengthening seafarer training and collaboration.
During the visit, NIMASA Director-General Dr. Dayo Mobereola emphasized that effective partnership between MAN Oron and the agency is critical to advancing Nigeria’s maritime human capital development. He announced that NIMASA is undertaking a comprehensive review of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping (STCW) 2017 curriculum for maritime training institutions across the country.
“For over 32 years, Nigerian training institutions have been operating with obsolete curricula,” Mobereola said. “NIMASA is determined to review the curriculum and benchmark it against the very best globally acceptable standards. This is in a quest to ensure that seafarers’ certification in Nigeria enjoys global recognition.”
The DG reiterated NIMASA’s commitment to supporting the successful training and promotion of Nigerian seafarers through MAN Oron, noting that human capital remains one of the most critical components for the development of Nigeria’s Blue Economy.
In his response, Engr. Akinola stated that the Academy is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and remains one of the leading maritime training institutions in Africa. He appreciated NIMASA’s continued support and disclosed that MAN Oron has developed a five-year development plan, which includes the acquisition of a training vessel to further enhance practical training for cadets.
Akinola also revealed that the Liberian Maritime Authority and a Liberian maritime training institute, which recently visited the Academy, have expressed interest in collaborating with MAN Oron to facilitate opportunities for Nigerian seafarers to undertake sea-time training onboard Liberian-flagged vessels.
The proposed collaboration, he noted, would provide Nigerian cadets with additional opportunities to gain practical experience and strengthen their competitiveness in the global maritime labour market.