Adegoroye, Lodge, Jamoh Visits MAN Oron

…As FG Restates Commitment for Continuous Support

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

The Federal Government has pledged to continue to support efforts at raising the bar in the development of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), even as it commended the management of the Academy for its impressive performances in the past four years.

The Honourable Minister of State for Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye, who reaffirmed Federal Government’s commitment Tuesday during his working visit to the Academy, described the learning environment as one of the best in the country saying that, he is genuinely impressed with the learning facilities at the Academy.

He commended Commodore Duja Effedua (Rtd) led administration for its untiring drive at placing the Academy at par with other maritime institutions in the comity of maritime nations.

“I am impress with the management of this Academy, the transformation is tremendous and most importantly the learning environment is one of the most conducive in the country”.

In addition, the minister commended the high level of practical training being offered by the school in view of the installed state-of-the-arts educational facilities.

The visit coincided with that of the Secretary General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), His Excellency, Mr. Michael W. Lodge. In the delegation were other important dignitaries, including the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh and the Nigerian High Commissioner to Jamaica, Her Excellency, Dr. Maureen Tamuno amongst others. Addressing the Cadets, the ISA Secretary General who said he was elated to be in the Academy, informed spoke with the Cadets about the International Seabed Authority located in Kingston, Jamaica.

He explained that ISA is an intergovernmental body made up of 167 member states and the European Union established under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and its 1994 Agreement on Implementation. He said the Authority is responsible for managing the exploration of all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area for the benefit of mankind.

According to him, new job opportunities would be created in the future since mining vessels that would require new technologies and lots of people would be stationed far offshore. Lodge explained that he was in the country for a 3-day workshop which is aimed at showcasing the opportunities in ISA and working on how African countries can be a part.

He urged the Academy students visit the Authority’s website so they can take advantage of their training opportunities, even as he expressed his satisfaction over the standard of training offered in the Academy, saying that it was a pointer to the fact that Nigeria is building competent skilled workforce to take up careers in the offshore industry.

He said, “Our visit here is short but very interesting, seeing the work and the standard of training that is taking place here is quite impressive. I’m in Nigeria for a 3-day workshop to look at the opportunities this potential will bring and how African States can participate in the future, so I suggest you take a look at our websites, you will see we have many opportunities for training with new technologies, marine sciences, biology, geology and offshore welding,” he said.

Earlier, the Rector had expressed his appreciation to the Minister and his entourage for visiting the Academy despite their busy schedule. He thanked the Federal Ministry of Transportation and the Management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for their unwavering support towards the realisation of the aspirations of the Academy and pledged to continue to do his best to sustain the development of the institution.

“We are excited to have you in our school today, now Nigeria has a maritime academy that is respected Internationally, for that we are grateful to the Federal Ministry of Transportation and the Management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency”, he said.

The high point of the visit was a tour of the Academy’s state-of-the-art educational facilities. Facilities visited included Multi-functional Classroom Simulator, Full Mission Deck Simulators, Full Mission Bridge Simulator, Ocular Vision, Smart Classrooms, Survival Pool and MAN Jetty.