‘Follow Instructions, Develop Yourselves For Blue Economy’, MAN Rector Tells Cadets

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

Rear Admiral Oyagha asnwering cadets questions after his presentation

Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Commodore D.E Effedua (Rtd) Tuesday tasked students and cadets of the Academy to demonstrate high level of seriousness in acquainting themselves with the academic and industrial rudiments of the marine and blue economy, noting the blue economy holds the key to immediate future of the nation’s seafarers and maritime economy.

Dr. Mogo making her presentation

Cdre  Effedua made the call during a two-day workshop on the Blue Economy Week, designed to provide  cadets with the necessary awareness of the blue economy concept and to prepare them for life outside the classroom learning.

“Nigeria is developing its blue economy and as cadets and seafarers, it holds the future for most of you. We have taken you through various levels of academic training but at the end of the day, whatever your specialization, you’ll end up in the marine and blue economy, so it is important you have the necessary  and essential knowledge.

Vice Admiral Ezeoba making an intervention during the workshop

“So far we have been able to take you through quality training and with all the seafaring training assets including simulators, your future is already laid out for you, just acquaint yourselves with the basic concepts of the blue economy because that is where you will end up upon leaving here.

“The blue economy encompasses everything…already you know about the enormous opportunities that lies in navigation, onboard ships, the compasses, the fishing nets and trawlers and all the connecting activities which are so vast; l am just giving you the synopsis. So we have brought experts here and will continue to do so, to tell you about the marine and blue economy and how to harness the vast potentials it holds. So pay attention, grasp and learn what our experts will take you through, we shall continue to do this exercise often because this is the industry you belong.”

Delivering a paper on Maritime Domain Awareness: A case Study of Nigeria’s Territorial Waters, Rear Admiral Austin Oyagha (Rtd) who spoke extensively about Nigeria’s maritime security architecture informed that inspite of much efforts concentrated on achieving maritime security, ungoverned spaces has continued to encourage criminal activities.

He therefore advocated greater synergy between the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) by way of harmonizing the management and control of critical security infrastructure in order to achieve greater efficiency and focus; while describing the spread of Nigerian Navy Falcon Eye, NPA’s C31 NIMASA’s C4i as counterproductive.

The former Chief of Administration in the Defence Headquarters notes that a focused, well managed national maritime security assets spread between the Navy and others will produce greater results and close gaps that have otherwise opened up over time.

This is even as he described the existence of ungoverned spaces more on the lack of coordination, which he said is often driven by political considerations. Oyagha said MDA radars are expected to cover the entire space of the nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) without any blind spot but noted that it is yet to have such full range coverage of the backwaters.

This according to him has made it possible for criminal elements to capitalise on the blind spots leading to actions like illegal bunkering, crude oil theft and other unlawful activities. According to him past efforts like implementation of ISPS code, establishment of the defunct PICOMSS and RMAC, establishment of RMCC by NIMASA.

Speaking on past efforts and interventions, Oyagha identified function overlap as one of the major drawback in achieving a focused result, but also debunked the impression that the defunct Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Safety and Security (PICOMSS) facilities overlapped with naval security infrastructure, noting that there were areas that were not covered by the tracking and monitoring technologies deployed by government agencies and committees at the time.

Also, delivery her paper with the theme: “Diagnostic Exploration of The Future of The Maritime Industry In The Era of Blue Economy: Action Invited for Seafarers”, Dr. Felicia Chinwe Mogo identified all water based economic activities as constituting the blue economy. She defined blue economy sustainability as the endeavour to protect the sea and ocean while exploring its vast resources, and making it safe and productive for future generations.

In his remark, a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba (Rtd) charged the cadets to be futuristic in the approach to life and to take their chosen career serious, noting that there is great opportunity in the blue economy.