Expatriate Master Mariner Rejoins Maritime Academy As Oyetola Prioritises Cadet Training

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has declared that the Ministry is committed to ensuring that Nigerian seafarers, Cadets and maritime professionals are globally competitory and well-equipped to thrust the maturation of the sector.

This was adjacent arsenic the Rector of the Academy, Dr Kevin Okonna, said the expatriate Master Mariner & Simulator Training Expert who near the Academy successful October 2021 is rejoining the Academy from India.

Speaking astatine the 3rd 4th Citizens and Stakeholders Engagement titled, “Implementation of the National Policy connected Marine and Blue Economy for Onboard Training of Nigerian Merchant Navy Cadets and the Critical Needs of Maritine Academy of Nigeria, organised by the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, the Minister said the authorities is moving to operationalise the recently approved National Policy connected Marine and Blue Economy with manpower improvement arsenic 1 of the cardinal pillars of the policy.

Oyetola who was represented by the Deputy Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Joshua Ayebameru, stated that the citizens’ engagement is captious arsenic it provides the Ministry opportunities to align their efforts toward sustainable growth, enhanced competitiveness, and planetary relevance.

“The Ministry is presently moving to operationalise the recently approved National Policy connected Marine and Blue Economy. One of the cardinal pillars of this argumentation is manpower development. We are committed to ensuring that our seafarers, cadets, and maritime professionals are not lone globally competitory but besides well-equipped to thrust the maturation and sustainability of this sector.

“We besides recognise that policies and plans unsocial are not enough. It is the radical — stakeholders similar you — who respire beingness into these policies. That is wherefore today’s engagement is critical. It provides america with an accidental to align our efforts, speech invaluable ideas, and illustration a communal way toward sustainable growth, enhanced competitiveness, and planetary relevance.

The Minister further stated that the Academy has remained a cornerstone of quality capableness improvement for the nation’s maritime industry.

“Maritime Academy of Nigeria has, implicit the years, remained a cornerstone of quality capableness improvement for our maritime industry. Through its programs, training, and committedness to excellence, the Academy continues to nutrient the manpower required to support our assemblage vibrant and competitive,” the Minister stated.

“Today’s engagement is truthful not conscionable different gathering — it is simply a reaffirmation of our corporate vision: to beforehand Nigeria’s Marine and Blue Economy done collaboration, innovation, and excellence successful maritime acquisition and training.”

Speaking earlier, the Rector of the Academy, besides disclosed that the Academy has employed 7 local, overseas instructors and marine nonrecreational lecturers for the grooming of cadets.

According to Dr Okonna, the Academy has secured support done the 2025 appropriation enactment to guarantee continual betterment of the Academy successful prime of training, facilities, infrastructural development, and employment of much instructors and lecturers.

“Since January 2025, the Academy has employed and engaged a full of 7 marine nonrecreational lecturers, including 2 Master Mariners with Unlimited (Foreign Going) Certificates of Competency (including the expatriate Master Mariner & Simulator Training Expert who near the Academy successful October 2021 and is rejoining the Academy precisely time from India).

“One Master Coastal Navigation (with different Foreign Going CoCs), One Chief Engineer (Unlimited), One Chief Mate (Unlimited), and 2 Deck officers (with Unlimited (Foreign Going) Certificates of Competency).”

He stated further that for the archetypal clip since its establishment, the Academy has completed the improvement of Conditions and Scheme of Service for unit of the Academy.