NSML, MAN Oron Restoration of a Dream

Captain Hamberlain Yusuf’s Helpful Insight and Advice

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

The Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, came alive in February 2026 with a ceremony that many described as the “resurrection of a dream.” Thirty cadets, freshly minted from the Academy’s classrooms, were inducted into the fleet of NLNG Shipping and Marine Services Limited (NSML) for sea-time training, a milestone that marks the revival of Nigeria’s most prestigious maritime programme after more than a decade of dormancy and failed restart.

The keynote address was delivered by Captain Chamberlain Yusuf, himself a proud alumnus of MAN Oron and immediate past CEO of Nigeria LNG. A man of intellectual capacity and resourcefulness, his words carried the weight of history and the urgency of destiny as he addressed the audience.

“You are the pioneers, the chosen ones.  This is not a field trip; it is a six-month, year-long intervention. The sea is a harsh mistress. She does not care about your certificate if you cannot tie a knot in a storm. She demands respect and she punishes complacency”, Yusuf spoke directly to the hearts of the aspiring young seafarers

 A Programme Reborn

Yusuf reminded the audience that the cadet training programme began in February 1992, when Nigeria LNG inducted its first batch of eleven cadets, all from MAN Oron. That initiative became the gold standard, producing officers who today command ships, lead fleets, and shape maritime policy worldwide.

But in 2015, financial challenges forced the programme to pause. “For nearly a decade, a generation of Nigerian cadets watched that door close,” Yusuf recalled. “Today, in this February of 2026, that door has not just reopened; it has been kicked off its hinges.

His words: “Great things happen in February. History has a habit of repeating itself, but only when driven by visionaries who refuse to let the past remain buried. Let me take you back. February 1992. Nigeria LNG Limited inducted its first batch of cadets, sparking the rebirth of Nigerian maritime training. All eleven of them, every single one, were cadets of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron. That programme became the gold standard.

“It produced officers who today command ships, lead fleets, shape policies across the globe and at least one that has just retired into making boring speeches, I will leave you to guess who that is. But then, in 2015, the music stopped. Financial challenges forced the programme to pause. For nearly a decade, a generation of Nigerian cadets watched that door close. Today, in this February of 2026, that door has not just reopened; it has been kicked off its hinges.

“What we are witnessing is not an event. It is the resurrection of a dream. And dreams are resurrected only when leadership meets opportunity”, he bellowed.

Visionaries Behind the Revival

The revival, Yusuf stressed, was not accidental but was driven by the vision and persistence of two men: Acting Rector of MAN Oron, Dr. Kevin Okonna, and NSML Managing Director, Mr. Ahmed Abdulkadir Kere.

Yusuf painted a vivid picture of Okonna’s dedication. “I watched him then—meticulous, uncompromising, insisting that every quantity and every quality was exactly as specified. Nothing less would do,” he said, recalling their collaboration in 2006 on NLNG’s CSR initiative.

When Okonna was reportedly encouraged to join NLNG, he declined. “The Academy needs me more,” he told Yusuf. That decision, Yusuf noted, explains the transformation of MAN Oron today. “While others sought the comfort of corporate salaries, Kevin chose the dusty classrooms and the leaking roofs because he believed in what the Academy could become.”

On Ahmed, Yusuf was equally emphatic. “Even before he had fully settled into office, he asked me one question: ‘How do we restart the training of Nigerian cadets?’ Not if. Not someday. How? That question has now delivered thirty young Nigerians to the gangways of NSML vessels”, he said with a rising tone of personal satisfaction.

Cadets as Ambassadors

Turning directly to the cadets, Yusuf laid down a threefold charge:

As students, they must treat the ship as their classroom. “The Chief Engineer and the Captain are now your professors. The engine room is your laboratory. The bridge is your classroom. Be humble. Be hungry.”

As ambassadors, they carry the Academy’s reputation. “The conduct of this first batch will determine how eagerly NSML welcomes the second and third batches. Let your work ethic speak so loudly that the company doesn’t just accept more cadets but to demand them.”

An unflinching patriot, Yusuf noted that as Nigerians, they embody a national mission. “For too long, we have relied on foreign expertise to man our own resources. You are the living proof that this must end. Carry our flag with pride. Let the world see that Nigeria produces seafarers who are not just qualified, but exceptional.”

The Journey Ahead

Yusuf did not sugarcoat the challenges. “The watches will be long. Four hours on, eight hours off: but the eight hours are never truly off. There will be moments when the sea tests you, when the homesickness hits, when you wonder if the sacrifice is worth it.”

But he offered an assuring perspective: “Steel is forged in fire. Diamonds are made under pressure. The challenges you overcome at sea will build the character that defines your life on land.”

 Gratitude and Legacy

The ceremony was also a moment of gratitude. Yusuf thanked NSML for “not fulfilling a contract but building a pipeline,” and praised the Academy staff for shaping the cadets’ minds. To the parents, he offered reassurance: “Today, you worry. Tomorrow, you will watch them return as officers.”

As the cadets prepared to embark on their journeys, Yusuf’s final words rang like a benediction:

“Go. Learn the ways of the sea. Master your craft. Return to us as officers: competent, confident, and ready to lead. Return as the generation that resurrected Nigerian seafaring”, and with that, strode back to his table with measured steps, as the hall roared into loud applause; as Ahmed, Okonna and other top dignitaries at the event rose up to their feet in unmistaken ‘thank you” gesture, accentuated by vigorous handshakes.