Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) Nigeria has urged indigenous shipping companies to assist in training cadets by engaging them on ships to acquire sea-time experience. President of the association, Mrs. Jean Chiazor-Anishere made this appeal in Lagos on Thursday.
She said the engagement of cadets by the companies would allow them grow and take over from ageing mariners in the country.
She identified lack of sea-time experience as one of the basic challenges facing seafarers in the country.
Chiazor-Anishere however commended an indigenous maritime firm, Stars Consultants Limited for continuously engaging cadets from the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, to acquire sea-time experience.
She said WISTA Nigeria would facilitate sponsorship of girls interested in seafaring.
“Apart from fishing, we’ve keyed with what Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is doing in the seafaring aspect.
“We have mobilised some young girls actually who are interested in the industry to come out (and) let us know who they are. Then we can speak to their (state) governments to enlist them. Their names can be forwarded to NIMASA for that seafarers’ programme that is ongoing.
“One of our `Diamonds’, Mrs. Irene McFoy is in charge of the seafarers’ programme in NIMASA. So that makes it easy for WISTA’s identified girls to get sponsored.
“Last year we were able to continue with what was set up by the past regime. That means, issuing scholarships to Maritime Academy, Oron’s female cadet officers who have excelled in their various disciplines.
“We did for six female cadet officers. We gave them money to finish through. And then we took their applications so that we could get them jobs because the big handicap is when they finish, they don’t have where to work,” she said.
Chiazor-Anishere said the association had engaged the services of its past executive officers in order to be more active and support the association to achieve its goals.
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