After extensive, very intense debates and arguments, the editorial board of Maritime Insider, Newsgate and Maritime Nigeria (online) Commodore Duja Effedua Emmanuel (rtd), Rector Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, has emerged as our distinguished, undisputed Maritime Man of the year 2020.

His emergence from a list of personalities preselected for the Award, used such criteria as revenue, projects, prospects and programmes as yard stick for measurement of performance by Maritime CEOs.

The Rector explaining to the Minister during the ministerial visit

While a better part of 2020 saw the world fighting the Covid19 Pandemic, with Agencies in the public and private sectors badly hit, MAN, as a training institution, deployed existing infrastructure to run online lectures for Cadets of the Academy even as students of tertiary institutions languished at home.

Modern, built for purpose Simulators were procured and installed for training at the Academy under the Covid19 pandemic. The Multi-Functional Classroom Simulator,  Full Mission Bridge and Full mission Engine room simulators were, against all odds made manifest at the Academy.

Commodore Duja Effedua (rtd), Rector, Maritime Academy of Nigeria.

The conversion of Classrooms to modern lecture theatres, made smart with digital teaching aids and enabled for broadcast any time is a feat not envisaged prior to the appointment of Commodore Effedua as Rector of the Academy.

While some followers of developments at the Academy have referred to the Rector as a wizard, there are those who think the Rector is a pathfinder, navigator and way maker at the Academy.

For us, the Rector is a jinx breaker, bridge builder and social crusader at MAN.

His words “I am just a face in the crowd” attest to his leadership style and qualities.

We congratulate the Rector for his distinguished national service at MAN.

The Award shall be conferred on the Rector at a date and venue to be announced soon.

Congratulations sir!