The proprietor of Global Maritime Academy, Dennis Onokhogbotor, has called on the government for support for maritime academies in the country.
Onokhogbotor made the call in Ugelli, Delta State, at the investiture of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, stating that private maritime academies cannot work in isolation of government support.
He said, “Private maritime academies should be supported by the government because we cannot work in isolation of the government.
“We all know that the maritime capacity building programme is capital intensive and we would welcome any grant coming from the government to fund our school.”
The proprietor applauded the Nigeria Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for promising to float a national carrier.
He said the national carrier was long overdue to support in the development of manpower in the maritime sector.
According to him, “The national carrier would help increase our foreign exchange and would also help in the training of our cadets as against sending them abroad.”
The proprietor however advised the regulatory agency to beware of the landmines that led to the collapse of the Nigerian National Shipping Line.
“The federal government has said it is floating this shipping line with the private sector. I think this is a good development because that is where the world is going; people now know that private sector is the best manager of investments.
“I hope this will help solve a lot of problems in the Nigeria maritime sector. Capital flight will be curtailed, foreign exchange will be conserved and the economy of the country will be buoyant,” he said.
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