The Alumni of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron (AMANO) has called on the Federal Government to upgrade the academy to a degree awarding institution.
AMANO said government should strengthen the academy by providing adequate training facilities, functional simulators, and access to training vessels for cadets.
In a statement signed by its President, Austin Ume Zurike and General Secretary, Emmanuel Maiguwa at the weekend, AMANO said that upgrading the academy will raise the quality and standard of its training and equip cadets with the necessary qualifications to meet the industry requirements for international competitiveness.
According to the association, the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, is the only institution in Nigeria that provides full range professional education and training in line with requirements of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
“The Alumni of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, as a unified body, believes it is once again time for the Federal Government to upgrade the academy, as it did in 1988, to a degree awarding institution.
“The Alumni is of the view that the academy should retain its premier standing as the foremost specialist maritime training institution, training and educating core maritime professionals for both seagoing and onshore careers, serving the nation’s maritime, shipbuilding, port operations, offshore oil and gas and related industries,” AMANO stated.
According to the association, to achieve the proposed upgrade and restructuring, amending the Act that established the academy, especially its funding arrangement, will contribute substantially to achieving the desired results.
“The Act should be amended so that the academy can benefit from various federal government revenue generating agencies like Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA).
“The existing funding from NIMASA, which consists of five percent of the three percent freight levy, can be modified so that deduction is made at source by CBN and credited to the Academy’s account under the Treasury Single Account (TSA) system.
“With adequate funding, the Academy can be upgraded and properly equipped for degree award. It will have the resources needed to produce quality and competitive seafarers and maritime professionals for the economy. The Academy will also be able to enter in partnership with various external organisations to provide onboard sea time training opportunity for its many cadets and ex-cadets, who are presently unable to make further progress in their career due to lack of sea time opportunity,” it said.
The MAN Oron alumni body said upgrading the academy will provide a significant improvement in the quality of maritime education and training in the institution and help save the nation the huge sums of money spent annually to train Nigeria cadets and seafarers abroad.
“A well trained maritime workforce will not only adequately support and manage these industries effectively but will also compete effectively in the international maritime labour market, resulting in net foreign earnings to the economy,” it said.
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