INTRODUCTION
The importance of Maritime Education and Training to
the Development of the Nigerian Economy is a subject matter that needs to be
considered by all presents here, those in governance of this country Nigeria,
parents, the general public as a whole and most especially students who are yet
to make up their minds as to the area of their career.
The Maritime Sector if properly explored and
harnessed could be the number one earner of Nigeria Economy, oil put aside.
This is true to other nations of the world who have properly place the maritime
sector in the right position of their economy.
Such a massive earner to an economy requires proper
education and training of its manpower for the sector to continue to be viable.
While governance is trying to do what they can to
revamp the Maritime Sector in Nigeria, we should on our part as Maritime
tertiary institutions educate and train the feature manpower of this rising
elephant, we have to be prepared, peradventure it rises again to the glory of
Nigeria economy.
And if it does rise again, the youthful manpower to
keep the sector alive will be readily available as we in the Maritime
Educational and Training Tertiary Institutions, would have done our own part in
educating and training them and making them ready to face the challenges the
Maritime Sector poses in this 21st Century.
One of the most frequently asked maritime questions
is “What is Maritime?” This
question must be answered before we can understand what “Maritime Education and Training” entails.
WHAT IS MARITIME
Maritime is a term used to refer to
that which is connected with the sea, especially in relation to seaborne trade
or naval matters. For example:
- Maritime Regions - these are countries in the world that have coastline or seashore or seaside, which are used for sea trading. Nigeria is one of such country
- Maritime Business - has to do with business connected with water or the sea, e.g. Seafaring or Ocean-going, Shipping, Fishing, Aquaculture, Water Sport and Leisure, Marine Energy Exploration, etc.
- Maritime Law - law connected with the sea.
MARINE
vs MARITIME - WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE
It is also important to explain the term
Marine,
which in many instances is confused with the term Maritime even though they
are closely related. Both terms come
from the Latin word for “sea” which is mare, maris.
MARINE
Marine
is an adjective meaning 'of or pertaining
to the sea, as in “Marine Biology,” the study of life
in the sea, “Marine Geology” which has to do with all the rocks and minerals
in the ocean, “Marine Mammals”,
which has to do with the creatures in the sea and they include Seals, Whales, Dolphins,
Hippopotamus, Polar Bears, other
as Marine
Engineering, Marine Insurance, Marine Environment, etc.
MARITIME
Maritime
on the other hand is an adjective meaning 'of
or pertaining
to objects or actions related to or
conducted on the sea, as in Shipping,
Navigation,
Shipbuilding
Yard, Dock Yard, for building and repairs or maintaining vessels engage in Maritime Commerce, Maritime
Law, Maritime Discovery, Offshore Oil
Exploration,
Sea
Ports, Terminals, Jetties
and their Operations, etc. Thus, “marine” directly relates
to the sea, while “maritime” relates to things
associated with or things we do with the sea.
MARITIME ACTIVITIES
Things
associated with or things we do with the sea are combined to form what we call
the “Maritime Activities”. Maritime activities are meant to harnesses the potential
of sea. These activities are therefore properly organized actions carried out in
a country in the form of businesses to effectively harness the potential of sea
for the benefit of the country’s economy. These businesses form the industries
that are grouped and called the Maritime Sector.
WHAT IS THE MARITIME SECTOR
The maritime sector
is a division of a countries economy that has to do with harnessing the
potential of sea business. And this is of crucial importance to modern
societies, Nigeria society being one.
But the Nigerian
public or society has a limited perception or awareness and appreciation of its
influence and role it plays as an essential element in terms of social and
economic development, and as a potential source of excellent employment and
career opportunities. If they understand or know this, the Nigeria people would
have been agitating for the revamping of the Maritime Sector of Nigeria.
It is important to
know that several millions of people are currently working in activities and
companies directly and indirectly related to oceans and seas worldwide.
The reason
for this write-up is to educate the Nigerian public as to the potential of the
Maritime Sector and the need to have their children trained and educated in
this area. If they don’t work in Nigeria, they could work in any other maritime
industry in the world, where they will make good money.
As a matter of fact, there is no
country in this world today that is not benefiting from the maritime sector, be
it a maritime nation or not. Therefore
the Nigerian public need to be properly educated by government agencies that
are
responsible for public enlightenment as to the potential of sea business,
and create the enabling environment for their participation and then educate
and train all those showing interest or wanting to make careers in
these area most especially the youths.
The Federal Government through the Federal
Ministry of Education (FME) and National Board for Technical
Education (NBTE) has already started focusing on the Maritime Sector by approving
establishment and accreditation of Maritime Innovation Enterprises Institutions (IEIs) in Nigeria is to provide Maritime
Educate and Training for those showing interest or wanting to make careers
in the Maritime Sector.
Two of such IEIs are Star Maritime Academy and
Global
Maritime Academy, contributing to the development of the manpower of
the Maritime Sector in other to grow the economy of Nigeria.
The big question is “where
will the graduants from this institutions work when the graduate”?
Therefore the Federal Government
should go headlong to total revamp the Maritime Sector, in other to awoken what
is supposed to the number one foreign exchange earner of the Nigerian Economy
and not oil, in other to massively create millions of jobs for the Nigerian
youths. Then proper carry out public enlightenment as to the potential
of Maritime Business, to enable the people to participate.
THE MARITIME INDUSTRY
For the Maritime Sector to
function effectively, it is divided into various industries or businesses. The Maritime Industry is made up of all enterprises or
initiatives engaged in the business or activities of designing, constructing,
manufacturing, operating, supplying, repairing and or maintaining of vessels
and marine structure. Managing and or operating shipping lines, stevedoring and
customs brokerage services, shipyards, dockyards, marine railways, marine
repair shops, shipping and freight forwarding services and similar enterprises,
Maritime Education and Training. The listed below enumerate some of these
businesses:
1. Commercial Fishing (Trawlers)
2. Aquaculture
3. Shipping
4. Cruise Ship (Tourism Services)
5. Water
Sport and Leisure
6. Marine
Defence Industry
7. Naval Engineering and Shipbuilding (Shipyards)
8. Maintenance and Ship Repair (Docks Yards)
9. Ship Breaking
10. Offshore Oil Exploration
11. Marine Dredging
13. Constructing
14. Manufacturing,
15. Operating
16. Supplying
17. Stevedoring
and Customs Brokerage Services
18. Marine
Railways
19. Marine
Repair Shops,
20. Shipping
and Freight Forwarding Services,
21. Sea
and River Ports, Terminal/Jetty
Infrastructure
22. Coastal Shipping Services
23. Offshore Construction and Fabrication
24. Supply Boats to Offshore Oil Fields
25. Crew Boats
26. Tug Boats/Anchor Handling
27. Diving Support Vessels
28. Cables/Pipe Laying Vessels
29. Barges/House Boats
30. Passengers/Ferry Services
31. Pilotage and Towage Services
32. Supply of Water and Fuel to vessel at
anchorage or mooring buoys
33. Industrial Areas/Warehousing/Offices
34. Ports/Terminals
Development and similar enterprises associated with the sea.
35. Marine Energy Industry
36. Marine and Ocean Research and Sciences
Industry
37. Maritime Educational Institutions
38. Maritime Training Institutions
The above enterprises
are regulated both international and locally, and required skilled employees to
work in them most of the who are expected to be properly educated and trained
to be able to work in any of these businesses.
It is difficult to quantify the
total value of the world maritime industry, and the economic relevance of a
sector that affects a wide range of aspects of modern societies and their
development. The maritime industry is of huge importance in terms of natural
resources and energy, trade and industry, sciences and leisure activities.
Maritime activities continue to
expand, bringing benefits for people across the world thanks to a growing
efficiency of technical and human resources. The Merchant Navy, offshore
oil sector, commercial fishery and cruise companies are part of the industry of
the future, and the maritime sector is already a key catalyst for
socio-economic development and international competitiveness in a changing
world.
Why will Nigeria and Nigerians be
left out of these benefits? The Federal Government should turn its focus fully
to this sector of our economy will not be dependent on oil alone.
MARITIME EDUCATION ACADEMIES AND TRAINING
CENTERS
This is the industry that produces
the manpower that work in the various maritime industries.
There are a wide range of
professional services around the maritime activities, and professional
associations, trade unions and organizations like ITO, WHO ITO, etc, supporting
the rights and interests of seafarers and maritime professionals, regulatory
bodies, like IMO, FIATA, IOTA, NIMASA, to mention but a few.
Nigeria is
an economy that operates a maritime sector and the above benefits of the
maritime sector are expected or supposed to accrue in Nigeria. But how can this
be if the practitioner or professionals in the maritime sector do not have the accurate knowledge to operate in the sector.
This is the reason for maritime education and training.
The purpose is to supply well trained manpower for the shipping industry. It
aims also to establish the basics of the seafarer’s discipline. What then is
maritime education?
WHAT IS MARITIME EDUCATION
Maritime education is the academic
training giving to students and professionals in the maritime industry, outside
seafarers training. After acquiring this knowledge, the students are subjected
to series of examinations, to become professionals. As professionals, they are
ready to contribute in the development of the maritime industry in which ever
field they find themselves. Without these professionals, the maritime industry
cannot function.
Some of the professionals in the
maritime industry are:
1. Maritime
Lecturers
2. Freight
Forwarders
3. Shipping
Managers
4. Cargo
Surveyors
5. Marine
Surveyors
6. Maritime
Lawyers
7. Marine
Insurance Practitioners
8. Ship
Brokers
9. Maritime
Security and Safety Practitioners
10. Port
Managers
11. Maritime
Administrators
12. Marine
Engineers
13. Maritime
Business Managers
14. Crew
Managers
15. Marine
Incidents and Accidents Investigators
16. Ship
Managers
17. Ship
Superintendent
18. Harbour
Masters
19. Marine
Environmental Managers
20. Ship
Building Engineer
In
other to train students and professionals and other stack holders in the
maritime industry, Maritime Educational Institutions are established all over
the world, Nigeria inclusive, to produce these maritime professionals as the
manpower that runs the industry. The Maritime Educational Institutions are the
Universities that offer, maritime education, the Public/Private Tertiary
Maritime Academies that also offer maritime education.
Star Maritime
Academy (SMA), Global Maritime Academy (GMA), Crown Maritime Academy (CMA)
Certified
Institute of Shipping, (CIS) to mention but a few, are such
private tertiary maritime educational institutions, approved by the Federal
Government of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Education,
regulated by National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), to train students
who want to take career in the maritime industry and retrain professionals
already in maritime industry, who need to upgrade their knowledge in accordance
with the prevailing circumstance.
These
Private Maritime Academies are regarded as Tertiary Innovation Institutions,
and they award National Diploma (ND) in Nigeria equivalent to the ND
(National Diploma) issued by polytechnics. National Diplomas are issued to
deserving students, who have passed their exams, after the completion of their
programmes which last for two academic years.
In Nigeria, the Nigeria Universities
are not left out. Regulated by the Nigeria University Commission (NUC), some of
them offer maritime courses which leads to the award of Bachelor Degrees, in
Shipping Management, Freight Forwarding, etc to deserving students and
professionals, who pass their exams, after their course work.
Some of the courses offered by these
Maritime Educational Institutions include but not limited to the following:
1. Shipping
Management
2. Maritime
Security and Safety
3. Maritime
Law
4. Maritime
Insurance
5. Freight
Forwarding
6. Port
Operations Management
7. Marine
Engineering
8. International
Trade and Documentation
The above is but a few of the
maritime courses offered by the Maritime Educational Institutions. These
courses can be taught at Certificates, Diploma and Degree level.
SHORT COURSES
Outside the academic or curriculum programmes,
these institutions run short courses to retrain professionals already in
maritime industry, who need to upgrade their knowledge in accordance with the
prevailing circumstance.
Some of the short courses are:
1. Maritime
Management
2. Shipbroking
Practice
3. Marine
Survey
4. Terminal
Operation Management
5. Marine
Incident and Accident Investigation
6. Chartering
& Ship Broking Practice
7. Crew
Management
8. Marine
Operations
9. Ship
Superintendency
10. The
Law of Carriage of Goods by Sea
11. Maritime
Conventions
12. Safety
and Security in Marine Operations
13. Port
Design and Engineering
14. Marketing
and Business Development
15. Finance,
Accounting and Budgeting
16. Port
Project Management
17. Occupational
Health and Safety
18. Report,
Communication and Information Technology
19. Marine
Environmental Surveying
20. Business
Planning
21. Chartering
and Ship Broking
22. Maritime
Trade and Transport
23. Shipping
and Logistics
24. Competency
and People Management
25. Customer
Relations
These courses are few days course taught
at Certificates or Diploma level.
The
mission of Private Maritime Schools approved by government is to ensure that
they produce the manpower for the maritime industry in Nigeria that could
compete favourably with their counterpart abroad and meet with the challenges
the industry poses in this 21st century.
Outside
the training of Shipping Management Manpower, seafarers are also trained. This
training falls into what is termed Maritime Training.
WHAT IS MARITIME TRAINING
Maritime Training are programmes,
courses, certificates and requirements for seafarers and people interested in
working or developing a career at sea.
There is a variety of positions
aboard cruise ships, merchant vessels and offshore oil rigs, such as the
Master, the Mate, Chief Engineer, A/B Seaman, Motorman, Driller, Pumpman, Derrickman,
Radio Operator, Ballast Controlman, Ratings, etc. These personnel aboard a
vessel are called Merchant Navy.
Some entry-level positions don't
require any previous training or experience, like the Ratings, while other
positions are very particular and demanding and therefore require a specific
training and certification approved by a Maritime Regulatory Body like the Nigeria
Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in Nigeria.
There are different maritime
academies in Nigeria that offer courses and certificates for people who want to
apply for a seafaring job, or ambitious personnel who aspire to be more
qualified so as to be promoted to better paid and more interesting positions
onboard vessels.
Some of them are Star
Maritime Academy, that runs Nautical Science, Marine
Engineering, Shipping Management and Maritime
related short courses. Others are: Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Flight
Marine Safety Academy, Joemarine Institute of Nautical Studies
& Research, Sea Trade Maritime Academy to mention
but a few.
The length of time of these courses
varies from some days to a few weeks or months, and is being regulated by the
International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Nigeria Maritime Administration
and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in Nigeria.
Some of the courses and certificates
available for seafarers or Marchant Navy are:
1. Naval
Architecture
2. Nautical
Science
3. A/B
Seaman Course
4. Certificate
of Competence
5. Sea
Service Approved by Harbour Master
6. Endorsement
to C.O.C. (Certificate of Completion)
7. Elementary
First Aid Certificate
8. Medical
First Aid on Board Certificate
9. Medical
Care on Board Certificate
10. SCMT
(Ship Captains Medical Training)
11. Fire-Prevention
Certificate
12. Fire-Fighting
Certificate
13. Advanced
Fire-Fighting Certificate
14. BST
(Basic Safety Training) Certificate
15. Aquatic
Rescue Certificate
16. EEBD
(Emergency Escape Breathing Device) Training
17. Course
on Personal Survival Techniques
18. Advanced
Course on Personal Survival Techniques
19. Course
on Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities
20. Sea
Survival First-Class Certificate
21. Sea
Survival Second-Class Certificate
22. Lifeboatman
Course
23. Certificate
of Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boat
24. Certificate
of Proficiency in Fast Rescue Boat
25. ISPS
(International Ship and Port Facility Security) Certificate
26. Oil
Tanker Safety Certificate
27. Chemical
Tanker Safety Certificate
28. Dangerous
Cargo Certificate
29. BRM
(Bridge Resource Management) Certificate
30. Bridge
Team Simulator Certificate
31. Certificate
in Ships Manoeuvring Simulator
32. Certificate
in Engine room Simulator
33. ARPA
(Automatic Radar Plotting Aid) Certificate
34. Course
on GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System) for Deck Officers
35. Endorsement
to GMDSS
36. Radar
Operator Course
37 Radar
Observer Course
38. Radar
Simulator Course
39. Radiotelegraph
Operator Certificate
40. Restricted
Radiotelegraph Operator Certificate
41. ISM
(International Ship Management) Certificate
42. Certificate
in Crowd Management, Familiarization and Safety on Board Ro-Ro Passenger Ship
43. Certificate
in Crowd Management, Familiarization and Safety Training on 44.
Board Passenger Ship other than Ro-Ro Passenger Ship
45. Certificate
in Crowd Management and Human Behaviour including Training in passenger Safety,
Cargo Safety and Hull Integrity on Board Ro-Ro Passenger Ship
46. Certificate
in Crowd Management and Human Behaviour including Training in passenger
47. Safety,
Cargo Safety and Hull Integrity on Board Passenger Ship other than Ro-Ro
Passenger Ship
48. General
Tanker Operation Certificate
49. Specialized
Oil Tanker Operation Certificate
50. Specialized
Chemical Tanker Operation Certificate
51. Specialized
Liquefied Gas Tanker Operation Certificate
52. Vapour
Systems Certificate
53. EMD
(Electric Motor Division) Maintenance and Operation Certificate
54. Offshore
Drilling Units Course
55. Crude
Oil Washing Certificate
56. And
others
If you want to apply for a job in a
particular position onboard a vessel, you will have to check out the specific
requirements of the available positions with a Maritime Regulatory body
like the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)
in Nigeria and compare them with your own personal qualities and aspirations
and then do the required training.
The demand for qualified seamen is
high all over the world and the pay is attractive, so also is the risk or
danger at sea.
APPROVAL AND ACCREDITATION TO RUN MARITIME
EDUCATIONAL COURSES
It is very important to note here
for the information of students to be and the general public, that NIMASA
approval and accreditation is not needed to run a Maritime Educational Institution and Teach Maritime Educational Courses.
It is only if the Institution that
wants to run STCW Course, that goes to NIMASA for accreditation to run such
course, since they are the regulated of such course and others that they might
spell out which has to do with seafaring.
Even though NIMASA is not part of
NUC and NBTE in approving and accrediting of Tertiary Schools to run maritime
educational or academic programmes, cooperation with NIMASA as the apex
maritime regulatory body in Nigeria, is very important.
Since they are representing IMO in
Nigeria, they can contribute to the maritime educational programmes syllabus, which
NUC and NBTE, and act as an advisory body as the case may be. They are many
things to learn from NIMASA as far as Maritime Administration is concern. So
partnering with them is inevitable.
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE MARITIME
INDUSTRY TO A NATION’S ECONOMY
Now
let us briefly look at the contributions
of the Maritime Industry to
Nation’s Economy like Nigeria. The significant impact of the Maritime
Industry to a nation’s economy is extensive, particularly those with
coastal and inland waterways like Nigeria.
The
maritime industry is a key sector in the Nigerian economy. Nigeria has a
coastline of over 8000km. Shipping therefore, is a very critical sub-sector in
this sector. Chief Ojo Madueke, former Minister of Transport in Nigeria, in
2001 recognized the strategic importance of marine transport to the Nigerian
economy when he was quoted to have said that the maritime industry “is to the Nigerian economy what the artery
is to the blood circulation system of the body”.
A
Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, has said that the maritime sector of
the economy remains key to meeting the yearning and aspirations of Nigerians,
especially the youth. But is there a
proper youth enlightenment programme that talks about the potentials in the
Maritime Industry that will arouse their interest to take career in this sector?
The answer is no. I have not heard of any.
The
Maritime Sector is employment of large labour. This is key to the success of
this present government if they truly want to deal with the issue of
unemployment.
If
we could flash our minds back into the 70s and late 90s, when the shipping
activities in Nigeria was at its peak, the good old days of the Nigerian
national Shipping Line, a lot of the youth were employed to work in the Ships and in the
Ports.
During
these period in Warri for example, the youth were not involved in nefarious as
it seen today, because there were employed as Stevedores, engage in loading and
discharging of goods from the ships. In Warri New Port in those good old days for example, you could
have about 10 ships discharging at a time.
These
ships have about four hooks each and 20
workers could be working in each hook at a point in time. If we
multiply this by the 4 hooks
we will have about 80 persons
working in one ship at a time and if we have to multiply this by 10 ships
berthed to load or discharge cargoes, will have a figure of 800 persons working in the 10 ships at a point in time.
Because
Ports activities are a 24 hours operation, the operation is divided in “shift”. So every 8 hours, 800 works will close for another set
of 800 workers to take over
the loading and discharging activities, until the ships have been loaded or
discharged.
Shipping
activities has ripple effects in it environment, as the benefit is cut across
almost all businesses around the area.
Most of
our Aged Master Mariners today were Great Maters of Vessels during the era of
the Nigeria Shipping Line. And
the officers onboard such vessel were mostly Nigerian. Are we having young Nigerian
Master Mariners today in the Merchant Navy? It is a question let for does
running this economy to answer.
It is very
important that the Nigerian professional running the maritime industry be well educated and trained, in order for
them to run the industry in the accepted international standard.
THE IMPORTANCE OF
MARITIME EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIA ECONOMY
Education and Training is
a critical investment in the future of a nation. It is the key agent for the
Socio-economic, political, scientific and technological development of a
nation.
It becomes even more
critical in the Maritime Sector where the businesses are seriously regulated
both by international and local regulator, e.g IMO and NIMASA in Nigeria, because
of the complicated and volatile nature of the operational environment.
The
purpose of Maritime Education and Training is to supply manpower for the
shipping industry. Furthermore, it aims to establish the fundamentals of the
seafarer’s discipline. Maritime Education and Training covers a wide spectrum
of training institutions all over the world, including Nigeria, which range
from those delivering short-time courses, National Diploma to post-graduate and
Degree studies.
The
ship, core element of the shipping, operates worldwide in a multinational,
multicultural and multifunctional environment. To facilitate working in such a
complicated environment, the seafarers or merchant navy must be trained taking
into account the entire aforesaid environments, taking into consideration, all
international standards and related regulations.
The
commonly agreed principles in establishing an effective Maritime Education and
Training are based on some of the following considerations:
1. Application
of Internationally recognized standards including STCW, SOLAS, etc.
2. Cooperation
with accrediting, awarding and licensing authorities as well as Maritime
Education and Training institutions worldwide, like NBTE and NIMASA in Nigeria.
3. Meeting local requirements.
4. Close cooperation with shipping industry to
meet their requirements.
5. Adopting
new education and training technologies into Maritime Education and Training.
6. Updating
programmes to cover new requirements and technologies applied to shipping
industry.
7. Providing continuous education for
industrial updating
8. Covering
all stage of Maritime Education and Training to achieve continuous education.
9. Balancing
and matching academic studies and on board training taking into consideration
licensing authorities.
In
today’s challenging world, all professionals in the world including Nigerians need
to keep themselves updated. This requires all respective individuals to undertake
additional academic and/or vocational studies, not only for those in
Undergraduate programmes but also for those in Postgraduate and Doctorate
programmes. Supplementary academic programs provide improvement in Nautical
Sciences, as well as in other maritime disciplines such as Port Administration,
Port Management, Shipping Agency, Maritime Security, Freight-forwarding,
Insurance, Ship Management, etc.
KNOWLEDGE
ACQUIRED DURING THE MERCHANT NAVY TRAINING PROGRAMMME
The
knowledge acquired during the Merchant Navy Training programmme enables the
Watch-keeping Officer to safely navigate the Ship.
The
Navigation Engineering/Nautical Science Programme should therefore be designed
to provide students with an in-depth knowledge and expertise in managing and
operating a vessel to which they are assigned as competent Deck Officers with
the ultimate goal of becoming a Master/Captain of a vessel.
The
emphasis throughout remains on the learning of nautical topics and systems and
is complemented by appropriate practical training – on board ship and, for
specific applications and/or scenarios, by the use of appropriate simulators.
Equally
important is the fact that the Navigation Engineering graduates should, apart
from having the capability and the ability to manage a vessel, be able to
communicate effectively with vessels in the vicinity, approaching territorial
waters with appropriate coastal governmental and non-governmental agencies
(pilotage, vessel traffic centers, customs, health, shipping agents, etc.) and
port authorities.
At
the same time, a graduate from a Nautical Diploma/Degree Programme is expected
to and should have the capability and the ability to address a broad range of
ancillary technical matters necessary for the management, maintenance and, safe
and profitable operation of a shipping company’s vessel or vessels.
Besides,
the Diploma/Degree Program should be designed to provide a broad range of
knowledge and skills in the area of Information Technology – a tool necessary
today in the management and working of any shipping company/maritime industry.
KNOWLEDGE
ACQUIRED DURING THE SHIPPING MANAGEMENT EDUCATION PROGRAMMME
The
knowledge acquired during the Shipping Management Education programmme enables
the Shipping Practitioner to effectively handle all issues relating to Shipping
and operate in an internally accepted standard.
Recently the
International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) observed
that Nigerian Freight Forwarders were not
operating in accordance with international standard. FIATA did not stop there,
they came into Nigeria through the invitation the Council for the Regulation of
Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) a Federal Government Agency that
regulates the practice of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, to
train her personnel, who will train Freight Forwarding in Nigeria.
The Council for the Regulation of
Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) in continuation of the training
accredited some licensed Maritime Academies 2014 whom they trained that will
further train the Freight Forwarders and issue them certification
which will enable them practice in Nigeria, or elsewhere in the world as
Freight Forwarder.
This will help Nigeria as our
Freight Forwarder will be internationally recognized and accepted. I hope the Association of Nigerian
Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) will the advantage of this traing to enable its
members by internationally recognized and accepted.
The
Shipping Management Programme should therefore be designed to provide students
with an in-depth knowledge and expertise in managing Import and Export (Freight
Forwarding), and Operating in the Ports, Jetties and Terminals. The emphasis
throughout remains on the learning of shipping management subjects, complemented
by appropriate practical training – in the Ports and Shipping Companies.
In
essence, it is vital that the coverage of the designed programmes delivered by Maritime
Education and Training institutions should be with the principal aim of
preparing the graduates not only to augment their initially acquired knowledge
and skills in a class-room setting but also to encompass a practical hands-on
vessel operation and overall shipping company management operations.
CONCLUSION
In
conclusion, I want to advice that the Federal Government of Nigeria should take
the development of the Maritime Sector (the
sleeping economy giant of Nigeria) seriously. This is a sector in the Nigeria
economy that will drastically reduce unemployment of the youth if developed to
it optimum.
The
growth in the economy revamping of this sector can bring to Nigeria in the
shortest possible time cannot be overemphasis. Many Educated practitioners,
professionals and stockholders in the maritime sector, can testify to this
fact.
This
could start by strengthen our Maritime Laws, re-establish a National Shipping
Line, collaborating with licensed Maritime Academies like Star Maritime Academy,
Global Maritime Academy, Maritime Universities, etc, in the area of maritime
Education, Training and Research.
This
will reduce capital flight in the area of training cadets overseas, as the
licensed Maritime Academies have the capacity and capability to educate and
train and retrain all personnel in the maritime industry.
Oil
yes, agriculture yes, but Maritime Business is the first earner of the economy
of the developed nations. I hope that government will consider this and reduce
unemployment in the streets of Nigeria.
Giving Nigerians maritime education & training
will help to the development of the individual and Nigeria as a country.
REFERENCE
1. What's
the difference between marine and maritime?
1. What's
the difference between marine and maritime?
http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/161176-what-s-the-difference-between-marine-and-maritime
2. What is the difference between the words "marine" and
"maritime"?
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?id=20080227132940AAGlrZF
3. Developing an Effective
Maritime Education and Training System-TUDEV Experiment
http://www.marifuture.org/Publications/Papers/Developing_an_effective_maritime_education_and_training_system_IMLA_2009.pdf
4. The
Role of the Maritime Industry and Vocational and Technical Education and
Training in the Economic Development of Nigeria by Prof.
Victor F. Peretomode,
IOSR
Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 19, Issue 5, Ver. V
(May. 2014), PP 45-50 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845.
www.iosrjournals.org.
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