NSML’s Maritime Centre Trains 272 Cadets, Employs Over 700 Seafarers

The NLNG Shipping and Marine Services Limited (NSML) has said its Maritime Centre of Excellence (MCOE) in Bonny Island has trained 272 cadets to completion of sea-time requirements, with 54 others currently in college or onboard vessels progressing toward professional certification.

The managing director of NSML, Abdulkadir Kere Ahmed, disclosed this in a paper presented at the 2026 Maritime Training Institute organised by the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON) in Lagos on Friday.

Ahmed said the MCOE was established as a one-stop maritime research, consultancy, and training institution to address Africa’s maritime manpower deficit, which he attributed to limited access to accredited training institutions, inadequate simulator facilities, accreditation challenges, and a shortage of sea-time opportunities for cadets.

He said the centre had adopted an integrated approach that combines maritime training, simulator-based learning, sea-time development, professional certification support, research, consultancy, and industry collaboration, describing this as a departure from conventional training centres that focus primarily on classroom delivery.

According to him, the MCOE holds accreditation from DNV under the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System, as well as DNV-ST-0029 certifications for its Maritime Simulator Centre and Maritime Training Centre. The centre has also secured accreditation from the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) for six maritime courses, the Nautical Institute for Dynamic Positioning programmes, the Marshall Islands for maritime training courses, Bermuda for gas tanker operations training, and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) as a Maritime Training Institute.

Ahmed said the accreditations gave African maritime professionals access to internationally recognised qualifications without the need to travel abroad for specialist training.

He noted that the centre had invested in advanced bridge simulators, engine room simulators, and Dynamic Positioning systems to allow trainees to simulate real-life operational scenarios, practice emergency response procedures, and build competencies relevant to actual maritime operations.

On sea-time development, Ahmed said the MCOE’s flagship Seafarers Continuous Development Programme (SCDP), run in partnership with NIMASA and the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, had helped address one of the most persistent bottlenecks facing cadets seeking Certificates of Competency.

He added that NSML, as part of its Nigerianisation agenda, employed over 700 seafarers as of August 2026, making it the largest employer of qualified Nigerian seafarers, with a target of maintaining significant Nigerian participation in managed vessel operations.

Beyond training, Ahmed said the MCOE provides maritime research, intelligence, and consultancy services covering shipbuilding supervision, commercial project evaluation, dry docking supervision, vessel lifecycle support, and crew and vessel management advisory services.

He said the centre’s combination of international accreditation and advanced infrastructure had positioned it as an emerging regional hub for maritime excellence in West Africa, with the potential to help retain training investment within the continent.

He said the centre’s combination of international accreditation and advanced infrastructure had positioned it as an emerging regional hub for maritime excellence in West Africa, with the potential to help retain training investment within the continent.

Ahmed said the MCOE, supported by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), had begun an expansion project aimed at increasing capacity, introducing additional courses, and broadening service offerings, with the goal of making most international maritime certifications obtainable within Nigeria.