Dr. Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok, Registrar/CEO, MAN, Oron

In line with his commitment to human capital development towards making the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN Oron, a world class institution in compliance with and in deference to dictates of the International Maritime Organization, IMO, the Registrar/Acting rector of the Academy, Dr. Ante Mkpandiok Ante, has reiterated that under his watch, even as Cadets continue to enjoy greater attention on their academics, staffs of the academy will equally receive trainings and re-trainings to enhance their capacity to deliver on assigned duties.

It was in furtherance of this avowed commitment that he gave the nod for a training workshop to refresh staffs of the Public Relations department/Media Unit of the Academy in Lagos recently.

Aimed at updating the PR staff and parleying with the media, the workshop dwelt on media challenges and social media issues. Community relations, managing situations locally and nationally were other areas of focus at the workshop.

“Imperatives of Quality Media Management in the Maritime Industry” was one of the papers presented at the workshop.

Leader of the MAN delegation, Mr. Siddi Mkpandiok, Director, Corporate Communications/Special Duties, stated that the workshop was informed by the need to evolve new strategies as corporate communication becomes more challenging in a volatile and complex society such as ours.

The lead speaker, elder Asu Beks, Managing Director/CEO of Maritime Media Ltd and Chairman, Board of trustees of the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria, AMJON, told participants at the workshop that corporate organizations must remain alert and prepared to respond to situations as they arise with the facts are decisively as they can.

He also called on chief executives to adequately equip their media units and save them from unnecessary harassment and embarrassment which lack of working tools/facilities could lead to.

Asu Beks declared that “Once communication strategy is inconsistent with any organization’s corporate strategy, there is very little a media manager could do to achieve optimal communications results”.

According to Asu, media heads must of necessity serve on the management team to help the organization develop sound policies that covers both internal and external interests based on his understanding of the concerns of key publics of the organization which are keyed into the decision making processes by management.

Edet Okpo, a media chief/consultant, facilitator/participant at the workshop stated that the workshop was intended to look at critical areas of needs of the Academy and work out media strategies in handling them.

Okpo stated that at a crucial moment such as MAN find itself at the moment, it is imperative that stakeholders stand together, stay together and articulate ideas that should guide policy makers in their deliberations as it concerns MAN, Oron.

He stressed the need to strengthen the Academy to deliver on its core mandate of quality manpower development for the maritime industry even as he urged the media to cross check and verify all stories as mischief makers roam around in search of persons to prey on. “The need to focus on issues rather than personalities in reporting the Academy cannot be over-emphasized” Okpo said.

Topical issues, such as Media Concepts, Public Image Strategy, Strategic Thinking, Developing and Executing Out Reach Events, Media Relations, Handling Emergencies, Strategic Management Solutions amongst other Media/Public Relations themes were analyzed and discussed by participants at the workshop.

The training session which was declared opened by Mr. Siddi Mkpandiok on behalf of management of the Academy was adjudged very rewarding from the rich content materials and robust discussions by all participants.