By Stephen Ubanna
Industry operators who have been following Bashir Jamoh, Director General, Nigerian Maritime Admnistration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, over the last two years would attest to the fact that he has kept to his policy Statement of capacity development over the last two years . Indeed, from the onset he was said to have declared his commitment ‘’to capacity building through its knowledge and research based initiatives’’.
He has his reason to do so: to save the nation scarce foreign exchange reserves needed in training young Nigerians abroad and to enable the Nigerian maritime sector attain its full potential to compete with other maritime nations’’. More so he believes that ‘’it will help Nigerian diversify its economy and reduce tremendously the over dependence on oil’.
As a prelude to keeping to his Commitment to Capacity building, the agency had sealed a working agreement with some best training institutions within and out outside the country. Take for instance, it has a training agreement with World Maritime University, Malmo Sweden, National Institute of Transport Technology, NITT, Zaria, Kaduna state.
Only recently the agency had sent forth 235 Nigerians to the Asian countries of India and Greece as the second batch of the 435 Nigerians to be trained as Licensed Deck and Engine Officers including Naval achitects under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme, NSP’’.
Eng. Muazu Jaji Sambo, minister of Transportatio, had performed the ceremony over the weekend in Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve centre, amidst applause from Industry stakeholders including Ade Dosumu, a former, Director General of NIMASA, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju. Secretary General of Abuja, MoU, Captain Sunday Umorem, Eng. Greg Ogbefun, Alhaji Aminu Umar, and Mrs. Margret Drakwus.
The minister who could not hide his feelings noted that the Federal government’s decision to continue with the NSDP training programme is based on the role it is playing in developing capacity for the nation’s maritime industry. He opined that’ ‘the success of this laudable policy of the maritime regulatory agency under the Leadership of Jamoh, cannot be overemphasized’’, stressing that’‘the ministry will continue to encourage and partner with NIMASA, on NSDDP and other policies on the development of a sustainable based economy, Blue economy’’.
This may have informed why the Taraba state born minister of Transportation explicitly gave the nod to the agency on the expansion of the programme by another set of 435 students to be recruited into the NSDP. According to him,’‘ the flag off of the 3rd phase of the NSDP christened TERRA II marks another milestone in the development of manpower in line with’ ‘the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration’s policy on youth empowerments up to degree level in Maritime engineering, Nautical Sciences and Naval Architecture in some of the best maritime training institutions in the world and to position the industry to Compete effectively in the global maritime industry.
Besides sending the NSDP students to the be best foreign training institutions to improve on their skill, Ossagie Edward, an Assistant Director and the agency spokesperson dis closed that that the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, is still working with the countries who are committed to understanding for ‘‘ mutual recognition of the Certificate of Competency, CoC, of the NSDP students and in selecting the institute to train the beneficiaries.
Despite the good job being done by the agency over the last two years in in training the NSDP,students, outside the country to improve on their skills, Jamoh, the NIMASA, CEO, who could not hide his feelings may have made Nigerians to understand that it has not been all that rosy. He has acknowledged some seething challenges experienced by the NSDP management of the scheme in the early phases.
He may have alluded to the Cadets sent to Philippines between April 11, 2022 and May 15, 2022, who were said to have lamented of lack of, ‘’proper accommodation noting that the rooms given to them were are congested with no study facility which makes it difficult to partake in online classes’’ The Cadets were said to have lamented of other challenges with regards to finance, procuring their Visas and registration of some courses to be able compete globally’’.
The appeal of the NSDP students sent to Philippines for studies, for financial assistance to cushion the harsh economic effects in the Asian country may have informed why Jamoh and his Management team have to go back to the drawing the board to address the grey areas. This is evident going by hat the NIMA boss said at the sending off of the second batch of NDSP students to Philippines. He had said that ‘’the grey areas have been addressed to ensure a better deal for both beneficiaries and the Nigerian government’’.
He stated that’‘the agency has taken additional measures ‘‘to ensure that all encumbrances of the programme are avoided in this new phase’’. These include ‘‘improved recruitment process across the six geopolitical zones, introduction of code of conduct for the beneficiaries and engaging Maritime Training Institutions , MTIS, that offer shore based training , ship board training to eliminate the long delay in securing sea time training berths that was experienced with the previous set of students.
Edward, the agency spokesperson disclosed that the agency’‘comparatively got the most reasonable cost for the training in the Asian countries with mutual recognition of the CoC with Nigeria’’. Many had expected him to disclose the amount that was agreed with the foreign Institutions but he failed to do so.
Giving a breakdown of the number of the seafarers enrolment, graduates and those already employed since the programme started in 2020, Jamoh, the Director General of NIMASA had put the figure at 2,041 students while 892 others are now on Licensed deck and engine officers including Naval Architecurets.
He noted that the number of Nigerian seafarers on oceangoing vessels as at the time the programmed was initiated had completed over the years , stressing that ‘’there is urgent need to boost it adequately for effective implementation of the coastal and inland shipping policy of the government ‘’. He disclosed that that some of the enrolled students are in their final stage of the programme.
Only recently the agency had sent forth 235 Nigerians to the Asian countries of India and Greece as the second batch of the 435 Nigerians to be trained as Licensed Deck and Engine Officers including Naval achitects under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme, NSP’’.
Eng. Muazu Jaji Sambo, minister of Transportatio, had performed the ceremony over the weekend in Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve centre, amidst applause from Industry stakeholders including Ade Dosumu, a former, Director General of NIMASA, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju. Secretary General of Abuja, MoU, Captain Sunday Umorem, Eng. Greg Ogbefun, Alhaji Aminu Umar, and Mrs. Margret Drakwus.
The minister who could not hide his feelings noted that the Federal government’s decision to continue with the NSDP training programme is based on the role it is playing in developing capacity for the nation’s maritime industry. He opined that’ ‘the success of this laudable policy of the maritime regulatory agency under the Leadership of Jamoh, cannot be overemphasized’’, stressing that’‘the ministry will continue to encourage and partner with NIMASA, on NSDP and other policies on the development of a sustainable based economy, Blue economy’’.
This may have informed why the Taraba state born minister of Transportation explicitly gave the nod to the agency on the expansion of the programme by another set of 435 students to be recruited into the NSDP. According to him,’‘ the flag off of the 3rd phase of the NSDP christened TERRA II marks another milestone in the development of manpower in line with’ ‘the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration’s policy on youth empowerments up to degree level in Maritime engineering, Nautical Sciences and Naval Architecture in some of the best maritime training institutions in the world and to position the industry to Compete effectively in the global maritime industry.
Besides sending the NSDP students to the be best foreign training institutions to improve on their skill, Ossagie Edward, an Assistant Director and the agency spokesperson dis closed that that the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, is still working with the countries who are committed to understanding for ‘‘ mutual recognition of the Certificate of Competency, CoC, of the NSDP students and in selecting the institute to train the beneficiaries.
Despite the good job being done by the agency over the last two years in in training the NSDP,students, outside the country to improve on their skills, Jamoh, the NIMASA, CEO, who could not hide his feelings may have made Nigerians to understand that it has not been all that rosy. He has acknowledged some seething challenges experienced by the NSDP management of the scheme in the early phases.
He may have alluded to the Cadets sent to Philippines between April 11, 2022 and May 15, 2022, who were said to have lamented of lack of, ‘’proper accommodation noting that the rooms given to them were are congested with no study facility which makes it difficult to partake in online classes’’ The Cadets were said to have lamented of other challenges with regards to finance, procuring their Visas and registration of some courses to be able compete globally’’.
The appeal of the NSDP students sent to Philippines for studies, for financial assistance to cushion the harsh economic effects in the Asian country may have informed why Jamoh and his Management team have to go back to the drawing the board to address the grey areas. This is evident going by hat the NIMA boss said at the sending off of the second batch of NDSP students to Philippines. He had said that ‘’the grey areas have been addressed to ensure a better deal for both beneficiaries and the Nigerian government’’.
He stated that’‘the agency has taken additional measures ‘‘to ensure that all encumbrances of the programme are avoided in this new phase’’. These include ‘‘improved recruitment process across the six geopolitical zones, introduction of code of conduct for the beneficiaries and engaging Maritime Training Institutions , MTIS, that offer shore based training , ship board training to eliminate the long delay in securing sea time training berths that was experienced with the previous set of students.
Edward, the agency spokesperson disclosed that the agency’‘comparatively got the most reasonable cost for the training in the Asian countries with mutual recognition of the CoC with Nigeria’’. Many had expected him to disclose the amount that was agreed with the foreign Institutions but he failed to do so.
Giving a breakdown of the number of the seafarers enrolment, graduates and those already employed since the programme started in 2020, Jamoh, the Director General of NIMASA had put the figure at 2,041 students while 892 others are now on Licensed deck and engine officers including Naval Architecurets.
He noted that the number of Nigerian seafarers on oceangoing vessels as at the time the programmed was initiated had completed over the years , stressing that ‘’there is urgent need to boost it adequately for effective implementation of the coastal and inland shipping policy of the government ‘’. He disclosed that that some of the enrolled students are in their final stage of the programme.
