Dr Bashir Jamoh, Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), says the agency remains committed to the development of the Nigerian Maritime University (NMU), Okerenkoko, Delta.
Jamoh gave the assurance when a delegation from the university paid a visit to NIMASA management in Lagos, according to a statement he issued on Sunday.
Jamoh said that in spite of handing over of the university to the National Universities Commission, NIMASA was committed to supporting NMU by completing projects it initiated there.
Jamoh advised the management of NMU to seek national and international accreditations to ensure that certificates from the school would enjoy global recognition.
He equally urged NMU management to seek collaboration with the World Maritime University, among other specialised higher institutions of learning.
“Nigerian Maritime University can conveniently bridge the gap in terms of human capacity deficiency in the Nigerian maritime sector.
“All you need to do as management is to seek collaboration with similar specialised institutions and ensure that NMU 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 Nigeria-based,” he said.
The director-general said that NIMASA still made budgetary provisions for NMU to ensure completion of projects it initiated.
“Our belief is that a well-funded NMU will greatly enhance youth employment and engagement particularly in the Niger-Delta region,” he said.
On the Modular Floating Dockyard, he said that experts had been in Nigeria for more than a month working on deployment of the dockyard.
He also informed the NMU management that the facility would be available for its students for practical experience.
“Experts from the firm that built the Modular Floating Dockyard have been in Nigeria for 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 deployment in a hurry.
“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.
Jamoh also disclosed that a proposal to convert Science and Technical College, Okoloba, Delta, to a campus of the Nigerian Maritime University was under consideration.
“Our facilities at the Science and Technical College, Okoloba in Delta State, are grossly being underutilised.
“A proposal to hand over the facility to the management of the university is under consideration,” he said.