Some of Nigeria’s cadets

The Employment Clinic, a private sector initiative is projecting the creation of 5, 000 graduate jobs in Nigeria’s maritime industry through its pet project, Maritime Conversion Programme MCP, which focuses on introducing Nigerian graduates to the maritime industry as well as advancing their career progression prospects.

Speaking at the official unveiling of the programme in Lagos, Wednesday, CEO of the organisation, Ronke Kosoko, said the MCP would support and connect over 5,000 Nigerian graduates with the right employers in the industry with a view to engaging them in shipping operations that are less technical. She said: “Women will be given priority in terms of the percentage of the 5,000 job opportunities under MCP, the MCP is not directly creating jobs but it is providing a fertile ground for transfer of knowledge from old Nigerians in the industry to young ones.”

Ms. Kosoko congratulated Nigeria’s president-elect, Bola Tinubu on his recent electoral victory and charged him to make maritime industry the centre-piece of his administration’s economic policy towards employment generation and wealth creation.

She implored the President-elect to appoint qualified Nigerians to head government agencies in the industry and also address myriad of problems that mitigate the growth of the industry as part of efforts towards addressing the worsening youth unemployment in Nigeria.

“Tinubu cannot afford to ignore the maritime industry. We have been talking to people we know who can be in his cabinet on the economic prospect of the industry for the nation and the need to address various problems which have plagued the sector. We need people with experience and expertise to be appointed to key agencies in the industry. We want the industry to regain its lost glory.

“The Lagos State 30- year Masterplan launched in 2022 cannot work without the maritime industry. It is important for the Lagos State Government to pay more attention to provision of infrastructure that can aid the growth of the industry in the state”, she said.

She also congratulated Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on his recent re-election for a second term in office.