Senate passes bill to establish Nigeria Maritime University

The Nigerian Senate has passed a bill to establish the Nigeria Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Delta State.

The bill, sponsored by Bamidele Michael Opeyemi (Ekiti Central-Senate Leader), is known as the “Bill for an Act to Establish the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State and for related matters, 2023” (S11.75).

It was read for the third time and subsequently passed by the upper legislative chamber on Thursday after considering its committee’s report. It will now be sent to President Bola Tinubu to be signed into law.

It may be recalled that former President Muhammadu Buhari rejected the bill for the establishment of the Maritime University of Nigeria in Delta State in May 2019, citing the excessive source of funding proposed for the university in his letter to the Senate.

However, the Nigeria Maritime University aims to encourage the advancement of learning, identify the technological problems and needs of the maritime industry, and find solutions to them, as well as develop and offer academic and professional programs leading to the award of diplomas, first degrees, post-graduate research, and higher degrees.