The federal government, has sought the technical cooperation of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), in converting the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron from diploma to degree-awarding institution and further training of the academy’s instructors, Lecturers and other personnel.
Speaking at the 2022 cadets’ graduation ceremony of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom state, the minister of state for Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye, stated that the government would also sought greater technical cooperation with the International Marítime Organisation (IMO), to meet the significance increasing demands for maritime education and training in Nigeria.
Adegoroye, who noted that Nigeria has enjoyed IMO’s technical assistance in the area of capacity building and training, stated that the academy needed the support from the IMO to securing the STCW Convention-required seatime onboard foreign-going ships for her teaming cadets.
He said, “ it is heartwarming to note that Nigeria has enjoyed IMO technical assistance in the area of capacity training. It is equally worthy of note, that there is the need to seek greater technical cooperation between the IMO and Nigeria to enhance our capacity to meet the significantly increasing demands for maritime education and training in Nigeria; these needs includes but not limited to support from the IMO in further training of the Academy’s instructors/lecturers and other personnel; support from the IMO to the Academy in Securing the STCW Convention-required sea time onboard foreign-going ships for her teaming cadets.
“Other areas of support are, technical assistance from the IMO in converting the Academy from Diploma to degree-awarding institution; using the academy as a sales-point for IMO books and publications in high demand by trainees; and greater involvement of the academy with the IMO`s seminars, conferences, workshops and other activities.
The minister, however, assured the cadets that better days lie ahead of them in the maritime industry.
His words, “It is pertinent to note that great benefits await you all as graduate Cadets in the Maritime Sector in Nigeria and the world at large. This great feat is being achieved through adherence to regulations and guidelines emanating from IMO Conventions and Protocols, which ushered in advance.
“I congratulate all the graduating Cadets and sincerely thank you all for coming and reassure you of the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Transportation to work with MAN Oron in ensuring a better Academy,” he said.
Speaking earlier, the rector of the Academy, Commodore Emmanuel Effedua, stated that the country has potentials that can make it great but lack of discipline has made Nigerians abandon their responsibilities.
According to him, when he was appointed as rector in 2017, the academy was battling with so many challenges such as demoralized manpower, dearth of teaching aides, failing standard of training, overbloated cadets environment among others.
He, however, disclosed that with hardwork and discipline, he was able to get turn the fortunes of the academy around for good by judiciously utilizing the resources of the academy.
“The academy has the potentials and what it takes to be a great country, but we lack discipline as a country. The management since we came in have been able to stop frivolities, we let people know that this is a citadel of learning. When staff misbehaves, we set up panel and we send the decisions to the governing council for decisions to be taken.
We have also let people know that the Institution is not a cash cow and funds that are, hiterto, wasted in frivolities are now being used to develop the academy.”
When I came in, we battled with failing standard of training, over bloated cadets’environment, demoralised manpower, infrastructure decay, poor maintenance of facilities, dearth of teaching aides, makeshift library facility without relevant book of reference but, we have been able to turn that around in the last five years,” he said.
He, however, advised the graduating cadets to be humble, saying humility pays and will take them to higher places.
“You must be humble and remained disciplined. When you are arrogant, you will burn out but, when you are humble, everything will work in place for you “
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