From right: Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh presents a souvenir to the representative of the Chairman, Governing Board, Nigeria Maritime University NMU, Alhaji Bello Salihu; during a working visit by the board and management of the NMU to the NIMASA headquarters in Lagos, recently.
 

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh has restated the agency’s commitment to developing the Nigeria Maritime University NMU, located at Okerenkoko in Delta State.

The DG also disclosed that the agency is considering the conversion of the NIMASA Science and Technical College NSTC, Okoloba to an external campus of the university as part of efforts to expand its facilities.

Speaking when he played host to a delegation from the University who was on a working visit to NIMASA, he noted that despite handing over of the university to the National Universities Commission NUC, the agency would continue to support NMU by completing ongoing projects it initiated during the developmental stage of the University.

He urged the management of the NMU to seek national and international accreditations to ensure that certificates from the school enjoy global recognition, noting that the NMU management should seek collaborations with the World Maritime University WMU, Malmo, Sweden, among other specialised higher institutions of learning would be a good starting point.

Dr. Jamoh said: “The Nigeria Maritime University can conveniently bridge the gap in terms of human capacity deficiency in the Nigeria’s maritime industry. All you need to do as a management is to seek collaborations with relevant specialised institutions and ensure that NMU’s certificates enjoy global recognition. Our goal is to seek top level manpower development from NMU instead of the current situation where institutions abroad are preferred to Nigerian based.

“Despite handing over the university to the NUC, NIMASA still makes budgetary provisions for NMU to ensure the completion of projects NIMASA initiated in the university.  In doing this, our belief is that a well-funded NMU will greatly enhance youth employment and engagement particularly in the Niger Delta region of the country. Our financial commitment to NMU is based on the principle of capacity development.”

Commenting on the Modular Floating Dock, the NIMASA boss disclosed that experts from the manufacturers of the facility are currently in Nigeria for over a month working on the nitty gritty of deploying the dockyard. He also informed the NMU management that the facility will be available for students from the university for practical experience when it becomes functional.

“Experts from the firm that built the Modular Floating Dockyard have been in Nigeria for quite a while now, providing technical support and working on how to deploy the dockyard productively. When I gave them a deadline recently, I was given professional counsel not to rush the deployment. If we have waited this long, we might as well wait a while longer and ensure we don’t regret a deployment in a hurry. Our students from NMU and other institutions will be welcomed for practical experience in mechanical, electrical, welding, and other areas when we begin full operation.” he said.

On the proposal to convert the NIMASA Science and Technical College Okoloba to a campus of the Nigeria Maritime University he said: “Our facilities at the Science and Technical College Okoloba in Delta State are grossly underutilised. A proposal to hand over the facility to the management of the university is under consideration.”

Chairman of the NMU governing board who was represented by Alhaji Bello Salihu, while speaking during the visit said that the NMU was concluding plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding MoU with the Ghana Maritime University. He commended NIMASA for constantly supporting the university and expressed delight at clarification about the Modular Floating Dockyard which they had perceived belonged to the school.

” With better understanding of the history and technicalities involved in the floating dockyard, we are satisfied with the steps NIMASA management is taking”, the NMU board chairman also said.