Reps solicit IMO’s assistance on sea time training for cadets

The House of Representatives Committee on Marine Transport has solicited the assistance of International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in making sure that Nigerian cadets get sea time training after graduation from maritime institute.

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, committee chairman, who made the appeal when he led the delegation of the lawmakers on a courtesy visit to Koji Sekimizu, IMO secretary general, at the IMO headquarters in London, United Kingdom, said the r equest became imperative because Nigeria on its own had not been able to tackle the situation.

BusinessDay checks have disclosed that lack of sea time training for cadets who graduated from Nautical Sciences, Marine Engineering and other maritime-related courses from the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron (MAN), has made it impossible for Nigerian cadets to compete favourably with their counterparts in other countries, such as like Philippines, etc.

This, industry analysts said, results to inability of the cadets to obtain Certificate of Competence (CoC) and get gainful employment onboard oceangoing vessels. They also blamed the poor involvement of indigenous shipping companies in Nigeria’s shipping business for lack oceangoing vessels that can offer sea time opportunities to Nigerian cadets.

“We urge the IMO to offer more technical assistance to our nation in areas like capacity building, assistance in getting global shipping companies to engage cadets that come out of Nigeria Maritime Academy for their sea time training, etc,” Ugwuanyi said.