The Federal Government has reiterated the need for commitment in training in its effort to build a national indigenous fleet with skilled and efficient manpower that would establish Nigeria as a regional maritime power.
The Minister of Transport, Alhaji Ibrahim Isa Bio, stated this in Lagos at the formal flag off of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) initiated by the immediate past management of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), led by Dr. Adegboyega Dosunmu.
Bio, who was the special guest of honour at the occasion, stated that the programme is coming at a crucial moment when the maritime industry is being repositioned for enhanced efficiency.
According to the Minister, “the impact of the training programme to the maritime sub sector is paramount. The national agenda for development of critical infrastructure is required to drive the maritime industry which focuses on important issues like port development, Inland Container Depot (ICD) development, port to ICD rail development and ship building development;
“This also entails ensuring the viability of the waterways through the dredging of our navigable rivers, implementation of Cabotage Act to grow Nigerian indigenous merchant fleet and boosting the infrastructural capacity of the Maritime Academy Of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom State to meet global standards.”
Bio explained that the national agenda for the development of human capacity is focused on critical issues like training, development and welfare of seafarers and maritime workers in the country.
“These include the implementation of seafarers’ identification systems, the national maritime database and review the conditions of service of maritime labour. NSDP is seeking to arrest the dearth of manpower and generational gaps of seafarers that is not just national, but global;
“It is a unique programme that consists of a few critical elements of human capital development. It is designed to be a partnership between the Federal Government of Nigeria, via NIMASA and state governments;
“State governments that have endorsed this programme are expected to contribute 60 per cent of the cost for nominated indigenes of their states, while NIMASA provides the balance of 40 per cent. This partnership is important as development of human capital is the responsibility of all tiers of governments”, he said.
He noted that the practical education, which the beneficiaries will undertake, will lay a solid foundation for their professional seafaring careers. The Director General of NIMASA, Mr. Temisanren Omatseye, had earlier in his welcome address said the objective of the programme was not only to create job opportunities, but also to develop Nigeria’s total capacity in seafaring.