The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) said that the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP). The Deputy Director and Head of Public Relations of the agency, Isichei Osamgbi, said that some of the graduands from the scheme had started gaining employment with foreign vessels as at December 2013 when Nigeria along with other maritime states attended the yearly conference of the International Maritime Organisation.
Osamgbi, allayed fears that lack of indigenous vessel ownership would affect the scheme.
He said, “Shortage of vessel ownership in Nigeria will not hamper job openings for beneficiaries of the scheme, as many seafarers of Philippines nationality dominating the global maritime workforce are not necessarily working on Philippine owned vessels.”
Also, the NIMASA DDPR added that the agency had stepped up maritime human capacity development in the country with sponsorship of maritime institutes in four universities where various levels of trainings would be offered.
According to him, the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) University in Lapai, Niger State had made advanced steps to actualise the commencement of training.
“Soon, we will be taking you on a visit to Okerenkoko and Lapai to see for yourselves the good works we are putting in place at these locations,” he told reporters.
Aside IBB university, Lapai, other universities that benefited from the N4.5Billion grant for establishment of maritime institutes were University of Lagos, Akoka Lagos; University of Nigeria,Nsukka Enugu State and Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Bayelsa State.
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