The Registrar of Port Terminal Management Agency (POTEMA), Dr. Babatunde Samuel has asked the Federal Government to reduce foreign training in all government agencies in the maritime sector.
Babatunde said that since revenue had been dwindling due to falling crude oil prices, the government should look inward to train its staff.
He said, “Since the falling oil prices in the international market, the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has called for reduction in foreign training in all government parastatals and I think the maritime agencies are not to be left out.
“While government reduces foreign training, I think indigenous training institutions should be considered to reduce the amount of money spent on the training,” he said.
Samuel also applauded the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for investing in training and capacity development.
He said, “Capacity building should be in tandem with international best practices. We may have hitches from policy inconsistencies in the sector but our capacity development has been in tandem with that of other maritime nations and there should be diversity of training and there should be local content for indigenous capacity to be able to build.
“If that is well defined, all the dollars, Euro that the Federal Government was sending abroad can now be domesticated in Nigeria and save us capital flight and help build indigenous capacity strength and it will give room for indigenous capacity, which will help advance the country training institutions to be part of the best.”
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