Nigeria Risks Indigenous Seafarer Deficit As Seatime Crisis Deepens

The illness of the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) has erstwhile again raised fears of a looming shortage successful the grooming of indigenous seafarers crossed the country, LEADERSHIP tin report.

With the wide capableness gap, procuring unit to antheral vessels from the planned Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) disbursement would beryllium a mirage.

It was gathered that indigenous shipowners presently trust solely connected overseas seafarers, arsenic Nigerian-trained seafarers cannot person mandatory seatime grooming owed to the lack of a functional Shipping Line.
However, Maritime experts argued that betwixt 1995 and now, a wide spread has existed, arsenic determination has been nary level to bid Nigerian Cadets connected seagoing oregon coastal vessels.
They estimated that Nigeria has less than 8,000 progressive seafarers, acold down countries similar Indonesia (140,000), Russia (110,000), and adjacent smaller maritime nations specified arsenic Myanmar (60,000) and Vietnam (55,000).

They, however, called for the involution of the national authorities and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to span the widening gaps.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP 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 (MAN), organised by the absorption of MAN, Oron, the Chairman of Starzs Investments Company Limited (SICL), Engr. Greg Ogbeifun said that the spread would person been widened, but for the innovation of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), which is grooming cadets arsenic seafarers for their ain use.

According to him, Nigeria, with implicit 250 cardinal colonisation without a excavation of trained young seafarers, is an contented that needs to beryllium addressed by applicable authorities agencies.
According to him, Nigerian Shipowners trust chiefly connected overseas Seafarers, and indigenous shipowners indispensable present trust connected overseas seafarers to bargain a ship.

“Since the demise of NNSL, our state has not recovered it acceptable to reestablish different planetary shipping line. Let maine conscionable fto you cognize the effect of this: Between 1995 and now, determination has been a spread wherever nary Nigerian Cadets are trained anymore arsenic seafarers successful this country.

“Thanks to the inaugural of NLNG, who are grooming Cadets arsenic seafarers for their ain use, we admit what they are doing. But, successful a state of 250 cardinal radical wherever the bulk of our imports and exports are done the Sea and are mostly overseas vessels that cannot bid Nigerian Cadets connected their ships.

“It’s a precise superior situation, due to the fact that adjacent if we bargain a vessel today, we volition not find immoderate Nigerian Cadet connected that Ship, and we person to spell backmost and look for overseas seafarers,” helium stated.

He continued, “Every year, hundreds of Cadets are trained, but nary Seatime, thereby limiting their advancement successful the maritime sector.”

Engr. Ogbeifun, who is the founding President of the Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), however, called connected the authorities to find a lasting solution to the deficiency of Seatime grooming for the Cadets

“Seatime is the biggest situation due to the fact that each year, the academy produces well-trained, well-certified Cadets successful their hundreds, and these Cadets spell retired determination and person nary ships to sail.

“I would similar to usage the accidental to petition members of the Council, the Minister, Shipowners, and others to statesman to spot however we tin code this occupation of Cadets. The NNSL was created successful 1995, astir 30 years ago. That level produced the likes of me, Captain Omotosho, Capt. Iheanacho, Capt. Ishola, among others.”

“I’m utilizing the accidental to entreaty to the government, backstage sector, and idiosyncratic groups who are successful a presumption to statesman to look astatine acquiring ships that tin commercialized globally truthful that these children tin person places to spell aft their training. But I tin commend the effort being made by the absorption of the Maritime Academy successful concern with NIMASA successful grooming these Cadets and uncovering opportunities wherever they tin find them,” Engr Ogbeifun stated.

Also speaking, the president of the Association of Marine Engineers and Surveyors (AMES), Engr. Issac Obadan, the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals, tin assistance the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, lick the challenges of seatime for cadets of MAN, Oron.

Obadan said the Academy tin get galore vessel vessels operating astatine Dangote refinery to sorb the cadets for seatime training.

According to him, Dangote vessels tin sorb much than 50% of the cadets for training, thereby solving the nation’s cadetship grooming challenges.

“Nobody is talking astir the value of Dangote refinery. If you cognize the grade of shipping engagement successful Dangote refinery successful crude oil, hydrocarbon, and adjacent refined p...