“We are not in Competition with other Academies”-Effedua

The Rector, Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Commodore Duja Effedua Emmanuel (rtd) has disclosed that the Academy under his watch has worked very closely with the International Maritme Organization, IMO, in deference to its (IMO) guidelines and regulations.

Speaking as guest on a radio program in Lagos, the Rector said deviation from core mandate of the Academy by previous management and political influences/patronages resulted in the stagnation of the Academy.

Commodore Duja Emmanuel Effedua (rtd.), Rector, MAN

In his words “The vision of the founding fathers of MAN was set aside in pursuit of personal ambition by persons who could have put the Academy on the path of growth and progress but by bowing to pressure from those whose personal interests were foremost in their heart, the Academy suffered, stuttered, staggered and derailed from achieving its mandate”.

MAN Cadets in a lecture theatre in the Academy

When asked by the moderator of the program where the Academy is at the moment in terms of growth and development, Effedua explained that if not for the timely intervention of the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi to restructure and reposition the Academy for excellence which led to the setting up of the Interim Management Committee, IMC in 2017,  the Academy, could have been worse off.

“When the minister saw the downward slide of the Academy, he intervened by setting up the IMC to rescue the Academy from total collapse. I was part of that team and the roadmap we agreed on is what is being implemented to actualize the task of restructuring and repositioning the Academy for global recognition which the minister is very passionate about” the Rector said.

Rt. Hon. Rotimi-Amaechi, Transport minister

Responding to the issue of infrastructure at the Academy the Rector disclosed that the present management has worked very hard to see that a training swimming pool which was nonexistent from inception of the Academy has been put in place. “We have not just one swimming pool but two at the moment” he said.

“Our classrooms have been remodeled to smart lecture theatres. All our hostels are now ensuite with two Cadets at most to a room”

“We had to shift emphasis from quantity to quality by reducing the number of students we admit. Whereas the Academy use to admit up 1800 student yearly, we reduced our intake to 300 to ensure that our Cadets get the best in their academics in a conducive, peaceful and knowledge stimulating environment”.

Free Laptops, Text Books and Online Classes

Speaking further on academics and lectures at the Academy the Rector said “Prior to the outbreak of Covid19 Pandemic, the Academy configured and gave Cadets of the Academy laptops and essential textbooks free. With the laptops loaded with relevant course materials and vital information, with the proactive steps we took by upgrading and strengthening our IT unit, our Online lectures as the lockdown persist was not difficult for us at MAN. We simply deployed existing infrastructure and I am sure we were the first training institution in Nigeria to commence online classes for our Cadets as the pandemic lingers. Though we sent our Cadets home for their safety and in compliance with Federal Government directive, we kept them busy and engaged online.

Free Books Given to Cadets

Lecturers and Training Equipment

On number and quality of lecturers employed by the Academy at the moment Effedua explained that employment of lecturers is not something that is done on impulse but deliberate efforts made and key factors considered before engaging anyone as a lecturer at MAN.

Notwithstanding, the Rector stated that the Academy has very qualified lecturers with doctorates and PhD holders among them. He revealed that the Academy also have among its staff an Indian Master Marina, whose resumption is being delayed by Covid19. “As soon as international travels are possible, he will resume. Also, our modern, built-for-Purpose simulators are being held down somewhere because of the disruptions caused by the Coronavirus pandemic”.

Our Multi-functional Classrooms among other training equipment are expected to arrive the Academy as soon as global travels eases, so I can say we have met if not surpassed IMO standards but we are not relenting. MAN is not in competition with other Academies in Nigeria, they are invited to come and and carry out trainings at the Academy for the overall good of the country” the Rector said

Training Ship/Sea time

When asked if the Academy has a training ship, the Rector said, “No”.

According to the Rector, it is one thing to have a ship and another thing to manage and operate it efficiently because of the running cost. “Ask ship owners in Nigeria what they are going through, running a ship is very expensive. Fueling alone cost a lot. A ship is capital intensive and the Academy does not have the resources to own and operate a ship on its own. It is an area which investors should look at and commit funds to. The returns are good if it can be sustained long term” Effedua explained.

Jobs for Cadets

Asked how the Academy is faring in this area, the Rector responded “Like universities in Nigeria and all over the world, our mandate is to train for employers to employs. Do universities provide jobs for their graduates? These are issues which are not within our purview but we are making efforts in collaboration with other federal government agencies to secure the future of our children”.

“We know what we have done on Sea time in conjunction with the Ship owners Association of Nigeria, SOAN. The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA is also making efforts, in fact I know that the entire Federal Ministry of Transportation, FMOT and it Agencies are having sleepless nights on how to resolve the issues affecting the shipping industry and bring back the good old days, so to speak”.

The Rector also highlighted what the Academy has been able to do by way of intervention through its redefined Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, efforts for its host communities. He said Computers, IT training centres and desks have been donated by MAN to schools in Akwa Ibom state, while diesel is supplied weekly to hospitals to forestall deaths arising from complications caused by power failure and inability of indigenes to provide fuel to power generators (where available) to treat patients.

“The Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN is home to all because the man in Calabar, Yobe, Kano, Jos, Benue, Osun, Ekiti, Enugu, Delta, IMO and all other states of Nigeria are stakeholders” the Rector said.

He called on parents not to hesitate to send their children/wards to the Academy for training because it is a thing of joy and pride to have ones child as a ship captain and or chief engineer on board a vessel.