The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has commenced sea training for cadets trained at various maritime institutions across the world under the Nigeria Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP).
Already, three firms have been approved by the agency to carry out the training.
Disclosing this in Lagos at a one day programme organised by Platform Communications with the theme, “The Youths and the Future of Nigeria’s Maritime Industry,” NIMASA Director of Labour, Mrs Juliana Gunwa said that the agency is working at approving more vendors to create a wider opportunity for cadets in the country.
Gunwa said the approval of more vendors will enable cadets undergo their compulsory sea training, a requirement for qualification as seafarer.
She explained that sea training programme would have commenced much earlier but for the change in government.
According to her, “The change brought some slight delay but the Director General of NIMASA has contacted all the vendors that have indicated interest to provide sea time training for cadets.
“As I speak, we have three vendors that are providing sea time training for our earlier batches; senior students are at sea services as I speak.
“There are also two vendors that have gone very far in the process of meeting the requirement for providing sea time training for other cadets. More vendors are also being invited to submit their papers and make the necessary presentation.”
She assured cadets that the agency is working hard to create the enabling environment for sea time training for them.
“NIMASA will never send you to school and leave you without going for sea time, it cannot happen. NIMASA is the agency that regulates the theoretical training and the very vital aspect which is sea time training, there is no way we will not fulfill that obligation,” she said.
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