For His Phenomenal Transformational Efforts at MAN

The Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM) has bestowed on the Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Commodore Duja Effedua (Rtd) it’s Fellowship Awards for Meritorious Service in recognition of his efforts at growing the maritime manpower capacity.

NAMM also recognized the former Group Managing Director of Comet Shipping Agencies Nigeria Limited, Capt. Pier Carrodona for his contributions and support to the Master Mariners.

While decrying the deplorable state of the industry with regards to its huge potentials and underperformance on several fronts, Capt Alao described Cdre. Duja Effedua  as a phenomenal administrator and transformational achiever who places premium on the national effort, including giving due recognition to role models and deserving national officers.

Pointedly, he singled out and commended  Rector for pulling the Academy out of the woods and repositioning it on the part of national pride under an unprecedented record time.

The Rector with Master Mariners during his induction/Award

In Capt Alao’s words “Effedua named roads, buildings and blocks after Master Mariners without lobbying and it shows his regard for the association and its professionals. Some of our colleagues haven’t been proud to identify themselves as MAN Oron Alumni in the past but under the leadership of Comrade Effedua the story has changed. The Academy today  boasts of world class facilities and there has been positive turnaround at the Academy as a result of Effedua’s visionary leadership.”

Commodore Effedua thanked NAMM for the honour, which he said he values and cherish. He emphasized that he holds the association and its members in high esteem for their contributions to the developments at the Academy in recent years.

“I want to thank you for your kind recognition for my modest efforts, it has been worthwhile. I have rejected over a 100 awards but this is history being made, l hold all you dearly and will cherish this award” Effedua said

The Rector flanked by Master Mariners and management staff of the Academy

On the industry, Alao said despite the immense potentials of the nation’s maritime sector, the shipping is struggling needlessly under huge neglect.

The NAMM President said that with the right support the maritime sector can be at par with the nation’s crude industry or can even contribute more to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

His words: “We have inland waterways from Lake Chad upto Badagry to Ogoja-Bakassi. We have the coastal waters which is about 600 nautical miles and we have the exclusive economic zone, even as we have international waters.

“As a nation, we should play our part and take a little bite in all these areas. We know that maritime can contribute immensely to this nation, but we are not developing the inland waterways. Just last week Federal Government said it wants to dredge Orasi river”

“This is coming after several decades. What have we been waiting for? Perhaps, this is because the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma has experience in dredging. Imagine the multiplier effect and the potential economic benefits in that axis from the project”.

“There are losses due to wasted man-hours in Lagos State in the evacuation of cargoes from the ports. The problems on the port access roads will not be there if we have openings with viable ports in other regions. As Master Mariners, we have a lot to inform the incoming government so that they can harness the opportunities within the maritime space.”

Given a comparative analysis of the industry, he said, “The use of inland waterways, the white people handed it over from Lagos to Baro to Neumann, but we killed it more than 40 years ago. The inland waterways was used to convey cargoes in the past, but we are not doing that anymore. Security is man made and we can eliminate it and harness the potential of the water.”

Speaking on the proposed Orasi river port in Imo State, Capt Alao said: “Orasi river is feasible, when you open up Oguta lakes, there will be so many ancillary industries in that area where ships can go direct and carry the load away from Lagos, Warri and Port Harcourt.”