Honourary Secretary, Nigeria branch of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMAREST), Engr. Alex Peters is dead.
Peters died yesterday at the General Hospital, Igando in the Alimosho area of Lagos after a brief illness.
He was aged 64.
His son, Alson Peters who confirmed the death to SHIPS & PORTS DAILY by phone said his father had been battling with a recurring ailment for a while. He said the ailment resurfaced again yesterday morning prompting his being rushed to the hospital where he died.
He said the body of the deceased was afterwards deposited at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) morgue.
After sterling performances in his primary and secondary education in the then old Eastern Nigeria and Lagos, respectively, from 1970 to 1974, Peters was sponsored by Nigerline (United Kingdom) Limited, a subsidiary of the now defunct Nigerian National Shipping Lines Limited (NNSL), to attend the Riversdale College of Technology, Liverpool, United Kingdom (UK) as an Engineer Officer Cadet.
During this time, he won the Institute of Marine Engineering prize for the most outstanding performance in the first year of the Ordinary National Diploma (OND) course in 1971. He again won the prize in the second year of the OND course in 1972.
Endorsements flowed for him in 1974, all under the Alternative Training Scheme for Marine Engineer Officers.
After obtaining his Certificate of Competency Class 2 in 1976, Peters became a self-sponsored student, with an annual grant from The Institute at The University of Surrey, Guildford, England, where he graduated with a first class degree.
Having obtained his Certificate of Competency Class 1, he sailed at various ranks, including Chief Engineer Officer. He also found time to obtain his Certified Diploma in Accountancy and Finance.
Peters has seen service with a number of marine engineering companies in the UK and Nigeria, and was Engineer Superintendent with Ocean Inchcape and with NNSL. Registered with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as an expert, he was a non-exclusive Surveyor to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
An External Examiner at the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology, Victoria Island, Lagos, he was also a member of the then nascent Nigerian Maritime Examinations Board, as well as a member of the Advisory Committee for the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom State.
He was also a regular member of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) accreditation team to maritime institutions in Nigeria and an External Examiner to the MAN, Oron.
A Fellow of The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMAREST), Peters was synonymous with IMAREST, Nigeria Branch, in his position as Honorary Secretary.
A Registered Professional Engineer, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), he was a Chartered Engineer (UK); a Chartered Marine Engineer (UK); a Member of The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE); a Member of The Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and a Member of The Institute of Management (UK).
The Chairman/Chief Executive of Accepters Nigeria Limited, a marine engineering company, as well as non-Executive Director of a number of other maritime companies, Peters was not restricted in the deployment of his expertise to the sector, as he had a stint at Guinness Nigeria Limited as Bottling Engineer.
Peters left behind a wife and four children.
Peters was a regular speaker at the Ships & Ports Annual Shipping Career Summit which holds every year since 2006.
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