“The entire maritime industry, the Oil and Gas sector have a lot to gain from these modern equipment we have procured for the Academy. Refresher courses are now more than ever before available on a higher, improved scale and because we are concerned about the entire country, we shall be open to discussions with other schools which want to take advantage of our equipment to improve on their trainings for the good of the country”.

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

Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Commodore Duja Effedua (rtd) must be the happiest of men as he takes delivery of the long awaited simulators and other training equipment at the Academy.

Prior to their arrival, the Rector alongside his management team kept vigil and maintained serious vigilance as they awaited the arrival of the modern training equipment.

Components of the Simulators

While the World Maritime celebration held, we gathered authoritatively that the Rector was busy tracking movement of the simulators from one location to another within and outside the country.

“These simulator in addition to the Multi-functional Classroom which we are also expecting as soon as Covid19 clears, will enhance the training of our cadets on Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) Electronic Charts, Blind Pilotage, Tactical Navigation, Ship Stability, Rules of the Road and what is known as High Voltage training”.

Effedua disclosed that the simulators are modern, brand new equipment which will provide huge opportunities for manpower development for Nigeria’s maritime and Oil and Gas industries.

Specifically, the Rector revealed, before now, that “The Multifunctional Classrooms which we are expecting can accommodate not less than 30 Cadets per training session. They should have arrived the Academy long ago, if not for delays caused by Covid19”.

“No country in the sub region has the kind of equipment we are bringing to the Academy. They are designed and built for purpose. These are not off the shelf generic equipment and we are confident that their arrival and installation will rejuvenate and catapult our trainings beyond the expectations of our stakeholders”

As part of preparations for the arrival of the simulators, not less than fifteen senior lecturers of the Academy were sent to India for training on how to handle, maintain and ensure optimal utilization of the simulators.

According to the Rector, “We made sure that the training component was included in the purchase of the Simulators because we must learn from and improve on previous experiences”.

The elated Rector disclosed that with the arrival of the Simulators, the restructuring and repositioning as directed by the Federal Government is fully on course with greater impetus.

Recall that the minister of Transportation, on his visit to the Academy had promised to support the Academy in its ongoing restructuring efforts.

Addressing staff and Cadets of the Academy the minister had said “Nigeria is so blessed with natural resources in the maritime industry. If all that needed to be done are judiciously done, it may start attracting interests from experts outside the country. That means if this institution is given necessary support through provision of world-class equipment, sound and adequate academic staff, quality infrastructure and competitive market value for Cadets, it can compete satisfactorily with her counterparts across the globe”.

The Rector explaining to the Minister during the ministerial visit

Whether the minister is matching words with action we cannot say. What is indisputable is the fact that global competitiveness and regional superiority in Maritime Education and Training, MET, is dawning at the Academy as PhD holders are among lecturers at the Academy even as Mr. Raja Rhajivera, an Indian, is one of foreign lecturers waiting to resume at the Academy.

With the arrival of the Simulators, the Maritime Academy of Nigeria has emerged as the regional super power in Maritime Education and Training.

Commenting on this development the Rector said “We are not in competition. Other Academies are free to come and use our facilities and equipment for their trainings. It is all about national development and improvement of our maritime operations. Like I have said and will continue to maintain I am just a face in the crowd”

Dr. Bashir Yusuf Jamoh, DG, NIMASA

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh has also sent a NIMASA team to the Academy for inspection and assessment needs of the Academy. We gathered that the team was very satisfied with developments at the school.

Going forward, it is far from uhuru. Efforts must be intensified to sustain and maintain what is at MAN at the moment to avoid retrogression.