By Chiazo Ogbolu
The Minister of Transportation, Mr Mu’azu Sambo, says efforts are ongoing to upgrade local maritime training institutions to enable them take up the Nigerian Seafarers’ Development Programme (NSDP).
Sambo said this at the flag off ceremony of the Third Phase of Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) TERRA 11 (Batch B) on Saturday in Lagos.
The NSDP is a platform provided by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to consolidate its position of relevance in the comity of maritime nations with a solid seafaring manpower base.
According to Sambo, the NSDP has been a success story and has further advanced the human capacity development programme of the Federal Government.
“The choice of foreign Maritime Training Institutions (MTIs) was mainly based on capacity and certification of the institutions in the area of maritime training, Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) by the International Maritime Organisation.
“The initiative targeted training of globally competitive officers that will erase the unfortunate discrimination that exists between local and foreign trained officers in practice,” he said.
He noted that the success of this laudable policy could not be overemphasised .
Sambo that the Federal Ministry of Transportation would continue to encourage and partner NIMASA on NSDP and other policies on the development of a sustainable maritime based economy.
“Hence, the ministry explicitly gave its nod on the expansion of the programme by another set of 435 new students to be recruited into the NSDP.
“The flag off of the third phase of the NSDP ‘’christened NSDP-TERRA’’ marks another milestone in the development of manpower in line with the Federal Government policy on youth empowerment,” he said.
He urged the beneficiaries to be good ambassadors of the nation and justify the massive investment in them.
“This programme is a rare opportunity that is highly sought after by your peers, but providence has placed it on you and must be guarded jealously for the development and benefit of the nation.
“We will continually monitor your progress in the programme and will not hesitate to discipline the recalcitrant ones among you. I urge you all to eschew drugs and any conduct that will portray the nation in bad light,” he said.
Dr Bashi Jamoh, the Director-General, NIMASA, noted that due to successes achieved, the Federal Ministry of Transportation approved the expansion of the programme by 435 new intakes (christened NSDP TERRA).
According to Jamoh, while implementing this, they took into account encumbrances encountered in the operations of the programme in the last 12 years and ways of eliminating or minimising them.
“It is important to note that from inception to 2020, the programme has enrolled 2,041 students, while 892 are now licensed deck and engine officers including naval architects, the rest are in their final stage of the programme.
“486 of the graduates are now gainfully employed and sailing in both coastal and ocean going vessels,” he said.
Jamoh urged the cadets to avoid foreign distractions that could cause a shipwreck to their budding careers.
He also urged them to dedicate themselves to the completion of their education so that the country’s huge investment would not be in vain.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime”, he said.
Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, President General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, urged all indigenous shipowners to work with NIMASA to ensure that these students have job opportunities after training.
Adeyanju commended NIMASA on the code of conduct being introduced, noting that they would support them on this because it would instill discipline.
Earlier, Mr Greg Ogbeifun, Chariman Starzs Investment Company Ltd., said that the cadets needed fleet to train, appealing to the government to look into the issue of having a Nigerian fleet.
“Today brings a lot of nostalgia to me because exactly 50 years ago, I sat like these children and the event witnessed today was important for the future of the maritime industry.
“A lot has been done to train these children but we need to train them to have jobs for the future. .
“NIMASA should not forget institution and maritime academy in the country, while they are allocating institutions outside the country for these cadets,” he said.
He appealed to the children to be accountable to the country, NIMASA and their families. (NAN)
