Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has entered into partnership with the South Shield Marine School at South Tyneside College, South Shield, Newcastle in the United Kingdom, to give sea time training to about 400 cadets who graduated from the agency’s sponsored Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP).
Sea time is a year mandatory training, internationally required for a cadet to receive the Certificate of Competence (CoC) that qualifies the seafarer to go on board a ship. This enables the cadet to complete the studies and become qualified seafarers.
South Tyneside College, which has about 502 Nigerian students being trained in various maritime related courses including Marine Engineering and Nautical Science, has graduated about 326 students due for sea time.
According to a statement signed by Isichei Osamgbi, head of corporate communications, NIMASA, Gary Hindmarch, the principal/ head of the school, who briefed Dakuku Peterside, the director-general of NIMASA, notes the school is also in partnership with reputable shipping agencies that are major players in the global shipping space.
Hindmarch says such alliance affords the school opportunity to place cadets on board vessels across the globe, which they have been using to train cadets since the existence of the institution.
“The performance of Nigerian students was very impressive and their success rate ranges from 84 to 95 percent over the past five years, which was above the college average compared to other foreign nationals. They were very committed to their studies and if there was to be a league table for the academic performance, they would be top of the table for five years, said the School head,” according to Hindmarch.
Responding to this, Peterside says the new arrangement will not only provide the cadets the chance of completing their training as seafarers but will also provide additional window for other NSDP cadets from other institutions. This, according to Peterside, will help to reduce the number of the backlog of cadets in need of sea time, which has become a challenge that is currently facing NIMASA.
Nnabugwu Akobundu, one the students, who spoke on behalf of others, confirms that NIMASA was fully responsible for their tuition and welfare all through the stages of the programme, saying, “We are grateful to you and may we also request you to extend our appreciation to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari.”
Adeleye Femi, another student who lauded NIMASA management for their efforts training them, says the programme has helped to equip them with the knowledge of the maritime industry, which would help to bridge the manpower supply gap in the nation’s maritime industry.
While commending the students for their good performance, Peterside urges them to continue to be good ambassadors of Nigeria in the foreign land, even as he promised that management was determined to help the students complete their studies in earnest including the sea time training.
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