COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THE BLUE ECONOMY: THE MAN EXAMPLE
“When there is peace and understanding, government’s policies and programmes are easier to implement and governance is better appreciated by the community as the win win scenario galvanize and mobilize the people positively”
Acting Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Dr. Kevin Okonna, has outlined outcome of engagements with citizens and host community leaders within the state of Akwa-Ibom where the School is located and its immediate neighbours, otherwise referred to as host communities.
Dr. Kevin Okonna, Ag Rector, MAN
Speaking at the first quarter stakeholders’ meeting held at the main Auditorium of the Academy, Dr. Okonna was emphatic that engagement and regular meetings/interaction with citizens have been very rewarding to the Academy.
“The purpose of the quarterly Citizens/Stakeholders’ engagement meeting is to inform the citizens and stakeholders of government’s policies, programmes and projects, obtain the citizens’ buy-in and partnership in the development and implementation of the policies, programmes and projects. This is a major deliverable for performance measurements of Government Institutions” Okonna said.
The Academy Boss further disclosed that the Academy takes engagement sessions with stakeholder very seriously with a lot to show as from such engagements.
On how the the Academy has benefitted from holding regular engagements with citizens and host communities, Dr. Okonna stated; “The 1st Quarter 2025 engagement was held at the Oron Beach and focused on Safety of Inland Waterways; the Academy joined the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, FMMBE, in Lagos for the 2nd Quarter Engagement; the 3rd Quarter Engagement was hosted in the Academy and brought all the shipowners and industry stakeholders to discuss and find solutions to the lack of opportunities for shipboard training for cadets in the Academy”
Flanked by the Cadets are L/R: Ag Rector, of the Academy, Dr. Kelvin Okonna, MD/CEO of NSML, Abdulkadir Ahmed and the VC, NMU, Prof. Florence Oluwafemi during MAN Cadets Induction in Lagos, 2025.
“The engagement emphasized the need for public-private sector collaboration in line with the provision of the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy for partnership for onboard training of Nigerian Merchant Navy Cadets”
“The result of that engagement was swift and remarkable as 80 of the 221 graduating cadets were given either automatic employment or sea time training opportunities during the 2025 Cadets graduation ceremony in November, 2025”
Dr. Okonna informed attendees at the Q1 2026 engagement meeting that since the last graduation ceremony of MAN, the Academy has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the NLNG Shipping and Marine Services Limited (NSML) for onboard training opportunities for cadets from the Academy for a three-year duration.
“A total of 43 Cadets from the Academy have been placed onboard NLNG ships for their STCW Mandatory One-year Seatime experience between December 2025 and February 2026” Dr. Okonna said.
the ag Rector clarified that the 1st Quarter 2026 engagement is intended to celebrate the outcomes of a very productive host State and Community engagement by the Academy in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“I am happy to inform that the support of the host State, Akwa Ibom, Oron Local Government and the Eyo-Abasi host community have played a key role in the stability and smooth operations of the Maritime Academy”
“In return, the Academy has contributed its quota to the socio-economic development of the State and host community as we have outsourced contract for keeping the Academy secured and the environment maintained in line with the internationally acknowledged eco-friendly and clean state of the campus”
Under its Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, framework, Okonna announced the Construction of 7 lock-up shops and 19 open kiosks in Eyo-Abasi, construction of 600 litres solar-powered Borehole Project in Udung Okwung, right beside the Academy on the waterfront end and the installation of a 10 KVA solar power facilities in the Palace of the Paramount Ruler of Oron.
It was further disclosed that the Academy also invested in the rehabilitation of the Eket to the Oron Community and the Academy Power Supply line.
“Unfortunately, PHED-reported nationally influenced electricity challenges have hindered the derivation of the full benefit of this investment, against expectation”, Okonna lamented.
The theme of the Q1 2026 was given as “Leveraging Community Partnership for Effective Implementation of the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy”
The presentation by the acting Rector highlighted the benefits of community engagement for the development of the Marine and Blue Economy Sector.
On behalf of his people, HRM Offong Odiong Akan, thanked the Governing Council and Management of the Academy for their thoughtful commitment towards the development of his communities and gave assurance of his continued support, cooperation and protection of the projects executed by the Academy to ensure their sustainability and continued usefulness to the people to the law abiding and peace loving people of the entire Oro kingdom.
