The Rector, Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Joshua Okpo, has once again called for the inclusion of the cadets of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron in the National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP).
Okpo said their inclusion would lead to greater success for the program and the nation.
The NSDP is a pilot project of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), through which thousands of Nigerian youths are being sent overseas for training in various courses as seafarers.
Okpo argued that the inclusion of the academy in the programme would create more opportunities for young adults who want to be employed in the sea trade.
He made the statement recently when members of the Ministerial Committee on Budget Monitoring and Project Implementation visited the academy.
Okpo told the committee that the academy has increased its intake from an initial 500 cadets per year to over 2,000 cadets per year, aside from short mandatory courses that it organises.
The Rector explained that allocations to the academy improved tremendously under the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
He noted that if NIMASA decides to include MANOron in the ongoing NSDP, it would go a long way to boost the revenues of the academy as well as increase the nation’s support for seafarers that have passed through the institution.
The committee, which was inaugurated last year, is expected to see to the implementation of the budgets and projects under all the agencies in the Federal Ministry of Transport as part of efforts to achieve the Ministry’s set goals.
Okpo assured the committee that the academy’s standard of training has improved as a result of its enlarged management and academic staff, most of whom were trained at the World Maritime University (WMU), Malmo, Sweden.
He explained that the Academy has appropriately used the resources allocated to it in the budget, thus resulting in improved facilities and equipment.
Chairman of the Committee, AlhajiZelaniWaziri, in response commended the rector and his management team and noted that there is a brighter hope for the premier maritime training institution.
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