As Ag Rector Doubles Up On Transformation and Excellence

When a man knows his job and is passionately committed and fully dedicated to carrying out his duties by deploying his expertise with patriotic zeal, positive outcomes are inevitable.

It is therefore not surprising that the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO),  Arsenio Dominguez and the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellence Adegboyega Oyetola, CON,  and top players in Nigeria’s Maritime industry have commended the Acting Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Dr. Kevin Okonna for his efforts and improvements at MAN.

Speaking differently shortly after the Acting Rector’s presentation on the Achievements/Challenges of the Academy since the December 2017 Technical Advisory Mission by the International Maritime Organisation, the Minister lauded the Acting Rector for his ingenuity, dedication, innovation, and commitment in repositioning the Academy as a centre of excellence in maritime education and training, noting that the institution has witnessed tremendous improvement in infrastructure, training standards, and administrative efficiency.

Dr. Kevin Okonna during his presentation on the Academy to the IMO Scribe

According to the Honourable “I want to commend you for the good work you are doing at the Academy. The transformation taking place there is impressive and reflects our renewed drive to align maritime education with the goals of the Blue Economy”.

He also noted that the Academy’s visible infrastructural renewal, enhanced academic standards, and the possession of cutting-edge training facilities have further strengthened Nigeria’s capacity to produce world-class seafarers and maritime professionals.

The visiting  IMO’s Scribe equally expressed satisfaction over the training facilities at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron.

He commended the Acting Rector for working towards the Academy’s adherence to global maritime standards, particularly its efforts in producing competent, technology-driven maritime professionals capable of driving Nigeria’s participation in the Blue Economy.

“Thank you for bringing the Cadets of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, the future of shipping in Nigeria and the World. Unfortunately, I couldn’t visit the Academy this time, but from the presentation, it has grown immensely since 2017 till 2025,” the IMO Scribe said.

Making a brief presentation on the Academy during the 2025 WMD celebration, the Acting Rector expressed appreciation to the IMO for their technical assistance towards the development of the Academy since establishment and its contributions to global shipping development.

His words  “We appreciate IMO’s work on the development and implementation of its instruments for ensuring safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans, particularly its international convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Convention), 1978, as amended and the IMO Model Courses”.

The presentation centred on the outcomes and remarkable achievements of the Academy following the IMO’s December 2017 Technical Advisory Mission to the Academy.

The Acting Rector highlighted that since the Mission in 2017, the Academy has been restructured and repositioned for global competitiveness as  observations made by the visiting team then have been fully resolved.

He listed areas of upgrade to include: the installation of state-of-the-art simulators for hands-on training; a fully equipped Marine Engineering Workshop with functional marine engines and other equipment; a Marine Exhibition Hall showcasing real ship components and other equipment; a Survival Pool Complex with covered pools for different trainings including HUET facilities; a Jetty head with full complement of facilities for PSCRB training and a functional free-fall lifeboat with Davit.

Giving further insights  on the Academy, the Ag Rector  said “The Academy currently trains and graduates about 200 Cadets yearly, with three quarter of the cadets being in the seafaring professions and all being registered with at least one professional body, including; the Nautical Institute, UK, IMAREST, UK and CILT Nigeria while still in school”

“The Academy also trains more than four thousand (4,000) participants yearly in the available forty-eight (48) accredited mandatory short courses and specialized seafarers training programmes, comprising more than seven hundred (700) participants annually in the Preparatory Classes for Certificates of Competency (COC) examinations leading to issuance of seafarers’ COC by the NIMASA”

Dr. Okonna further hinted that the reforms in the Academy are also in tandem with the Federal Government of Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda which are targeted at unlocking the vast potential of Nigeria’s Blue Economy and positioning the country as a regional maritime powerhouse.

“The Academy’s focus on excellence, infrastructural upgrade, and improved training standards is aimed at reflecting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for national development and maritime advancement,” he emphasized.

He therefore reaffirmed the Academy’s commitment to sustaining the tempo through innovation, transparency, and strategic partnerships with industry stakeholders.

IMO’s Secretary General Interaction and Engagement with MAN Cadets

On the sideline of the 2025 World Maritime Day, the Secretary General of IMO, Arsenio Dominguez, had an inspiring interaction with twenty Cadets of the Academy for over two hours where he provided valuable insights into the IMO’s current focus areas, global maritime strategies, the future of seafaring in a rapidly evolving industry and how cadets can align their training with international best practices.

IMO Secretary General Interact with Cadets of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria.

He urged the young seafarers to actively support the transition to sustainable shipping by implementing eco-friendly practices and applying knowledge gained from maritime training institutions.

Sharing personal values and advice that shaped his personal professional journey. He said the qualities that helped him grow were humility, knowledge sharing, ambition in moderation and advised the young cadets to be humble, learn as much as possible, always be professional, share knowledge freely, gather experience as much as they can, maintain integrity, take opportunities as they come and understand that not every opportunity is remunerated.

Appreciating the Management of the Academy while sharing lessons learnt during the interactive session, the Chief Cadet Captain, Cadet Ibezimako Anthony Udoka, who spoke on behalf of other cadets said, “We have learnt that technology in shipping is meant to support seafarers not replace them. It also became clear that the future of maritime operations depends on professionals embracing greener practices and contributing to decarbonization efforts of the IMO.”

“The Secretary General’s piercing words of advice also reminded us that humility, integrity, and continuous learning are qualities that truly define a successful seafarer”

“I want to sincerely thank the Acting Rector, Dr. Kevin Okonna for the exposure, Cadets have never had it this good. I want to thank everyone who has supported the Academy to transform and grow to where it is. Our hostels are very comfortable with twenty-four hours of power supply, smart classrooms, conducive learning environment, and top-notched training facilities,  we are very grateful” Cadet Ibezimako said.