Charkin Maritime Academy (CMA), Port Harcourt, Rivers State has unveiled three state-of-the art Full Mission Free Fall Lifeboat Simulators.
In the same vein, the foremost private maritime training institution is also in the process of completing the initial Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) accreditation of its Associate Certificate in Nautical Science and Marine Engineering.
Already, relevant officials of the agency have visited the school for on-the-spot assessment and audit of its facilities to ensure that they are in line with international standards.
The simulators procured by the school include the Free Fall Lifeboat, Twin Fall Lifeboat, and Fast Rescue Boat which remain the most advanced free fall simulators in the world.
They are the first of its kind in Africa and the third in the world and they were recently acquired by CMA as part of its mission to continuously upgrade its facilities to meet international standards as stipulated in the various conventions and guidelines by the global maritime watchdog, International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
The academy also houses the Offshore Safety Centre which has been providing the much needed quality training to personnel in the oil and gas industry over the years.
The academy was a cynosure of all eyes as the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Jamie Christoff formally unveiled the modern equipment to the delight of those who witnessed it.
Christoff who was taken on an inspection tour of some of the facilities in the school ahead of the unveiling of the equipment recently, was full of praise for the management of the institution for the strides it has made over the years, especially in the area of effective training of requisite manpower for the maritime industry.
On hand to receive him on arrival at the school premises was the founder and chief executive officer (CEO), CMA, Sir Charles K. Wami; the Provost, Dr. Egben Okore; the executive director, Technical and Operations, Engr. Akintayo Akinbode; among other top management staff of the foremost private maritime education training institution.
In his remarks, he commended Wami and the staff of CMA for their warm welcome to the school premises just as he expressed his respect and high regard for all mariners across the globe.
According to him, as a young boy growing up in Canada, he lived and witnessed the intensity of the waves coming from the Atlantic Ocean.
He specifically thanked Wami for being a visionary leader that propelled him to put structures in place for the effective training of seafarers and the establishment of CMA.
The High Commissioner assured him that his requests will be taken back to Ottawa where he expects that all necessary actions will be taken.
Wami in his welcome address expressed delight at the visit of Christoff to CMA even as he enumerated some of the strides the school has made over the years.
He explained that the centre was set up with the aim of delivering safety training to operators of the global maritime industry in general and the oil and gas sector in particular.
Wami revealed that the centre training is certified and accredited by local and international institutions.
These include the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) which has approved for the centre to run International Maritime Organisation (IMO) STCW courses; Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) formerly known as Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR); OPITO; Oil and Gas Training Association of Nigeria (OGTAN); IWCF; IADC; and the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN).
According to him, the academy is also accredited by Nautical Institute (NI) to conduct Dynamic Positioning (DP) courses, as well as the International Association for Safety and Survival Training (IASST), United Kingdom.
