The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Wednesday unveiled its ultra-modern training school in its bid to enhance employees’ skill for efficient service delivery.
The NPA Training School, located on Dockyard Road, Apapa, Lagos has capacity to seat 380 persons per time.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, NPA Managing Director, Mohammed Bello Koko, said the revival of the decades old training school was part of the resolve of his management team to institutionalise continuous learning as an organisational culture.
He said the school would enable the training of port workers locally but within global standard.
“The commissioning of this Dockyard Training School today is a testament to our resolve to institute continuous learning as a culture in the Nigerian Ports Authority. A modern technical training facility of this nature is germane to us as an Authority because the opportunity to learn, unlearn and relearn what it offers constitutes a critical success factor in actualizing our strategic intent of becoming the maritime logistics hub for sustainable port services in Africa.
“As most of us are aware, having in place a robust talent pool is a necessary precondition for operating efficiently in the fiercely competitive terrain that port business is.
“Consistently upskilling and reskilling our employees on whom we place a very high premium is our overriding objective as a management team, and our readiness to position them to be best in class is at the core of what this training school sets to achieve,” Bello Koko said.
The NPA Managing Director said the training complex has the capacity to accommodate 380 persons per time as it consists of a lecture theatre with a seating capacity of 73, a large hall with seating capacity of 112, a mini hall with a seating capacity 50, another 27 and six simulation classrooms that can seat 16 persons each, a fully automated library, a computer training hall, a canteen with seating capacity for 120 persons and a hostel with a 30-bed capacity.
“The decision to invest so much in this facility took cognizance of our former employees, some of whom although retired are actually not tired. We intend to tap into their wealth of experience and institutional knowledge by inviting them as resource persons to train upcoming employees.
“Processes are also in the works to partner with the World Maritime University, the Nigerian Navy Hydrography Department, Nigerian Institute of Marine and Oceanography Research, the University of Lagos, and other research and learning institutions in the area of curriculum development and capacity building,” he said.
He recommended the facility for patronage by sister agencies and other maritime industry players who are desirous of a best-in-class training platform for their employees.
The commissioning ceremony was attended by many dignitaries including the Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh; the Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Chief George Moghalu; the Vice Chancellor, Univeristy of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe; management consultant, Professor Pat Utomi; and the Chairman, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Princess Vicky Haastrup, among others.