Nigeria’s Bid for Council Seat Of IMO: Showcasing Nigeria’s World Class Seafarers Training Standard to Attract Impressive Global Ratings
By Ovie Edomi
Apart from Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, being one of the over 500 Maritime Academies recognised by the International Maritime Organisation,IMO, the Maritime Academy of Nigeria’s impressive training curriculum is helping to re-position Nigeria among Maritime Nations and hence increasing Nigeria’s global rating. This can be leveraged on by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy as a way of increasing Nigeria’s chances as the campaign for a Category C seat continues
Twenty years ago, precisely in 2005 and 2009, Nigeria won a Category C seat of the International Maritime Organisation’s Council. Nigeria had earlier been elected in 1975 and 2001. The IMO’s Category C comprises countries with special interests in Maritime. To be elected into this category means representation of all major geographic areas and meeting with certain criteria set by the IMO.
The federal government through the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy recognises the place of Category C seat of the IMO’s council hence the Marine and Blue Economy, Minister Adegboyega Oyetola is busy going round campaigning for the Category C seat believing that Nigeria can leverage on the nation’s maritime potentials, the institutional and technical development in Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure as well as the world class human capacity development of seafarers at the nation’ s premier Maritime Academy located in Oron, Akwa Ibom state in addition to the ongoing door to door campaign by Oyetola and other members of the ministerial team in Europe and Africa.
Although, one maritime stakeholder who spoke with this Reporter from Greece say Nigeria’s failure in the past to clinch the Category C position in the council of IMO was not as a result of Nigeria’s ability to prove as a maritime nation that it has improved its rating in terms of seafarer training and infrastructural development of its maritime components but diplomatic bottlenecks. This was coroborated by his Singapore counterpart who preferred not to be mentioned when he told this Reporter that “Nigeria as a maritime nation has a training Academy recognised by the IMO and in over 40 years of the existence of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, it has trained millions of Cadets even without a training ship, and Nigeria remains one of the hubs of maritime operations in West and Central Africa. So the fact that Nigeria’s cadets have to struggle to get their sea time experience is though alarming, nevertheless, the training curriculum of MAN, Oron is top class along other great maritime potentials that your country has that can be harnessed for global promotion of International Sea trade and by that should occupy a place in the IMO’s Council category C seat”.
While this revelations speak volume, another maritime stakeholder in Nigeria Dr. Bolaji Akinola Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, is hopeful that this time the Category C council seat of the IMO will not elude Nigeria, when he spoke with the magazine Editor. According to Akinola, “what has changed to make this present bid so much more hopeful is the undeniable transformation of Nigeria’s maritime sector. The nation has embarked on series of giant strides, most notably is maritime security, which has been a game-changer for the entire Gulf of Guinea. The successful implementation of the Deep Blue Project — a comprehensive security architecture combining land, air, and sea assets — has been instrumental in eliminating piracy incidents in Nigeria’s territorial waters and has also contributed to a significant reduction in attacks in the wider Gulf of Guinea. This is a powerful demonstration of Nigeria’s capacity to not only address its own security challenges but to also provide regional leadership, a core expectation for a nation seeking a seat on the IMO Council. Furthermore, the creation of a dedicated Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy signals a high-level strategic focus on harnessing Nigeria’s vast maritime potential for sustainable economic development. This move aligns with global trends and showcases a national resolve to foster a more diversified and sustainable economy”. Furthermore, he noted that Nigeria’s bid is also supported by its active efforts to domesticate and enforce key IMO conventions, demonstrating a deep commitment to international standards on environmental protection, seafarers welfare, and maritime safety. The Minister’s Special Adviser also noted “MAN Oron’s continued inclusion on IMO’s Whitelist of Maritime Training Institutions is a powerful testament to Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to these international standards”.
For many Nigerians, the campaign for Category C seat in the council of IMO is a possibility. The federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has in two years also lived to its responsibility of ensuring and enhancing the growth of Maritime potentials in Nigeria. Since the creation of the Marine and Blue Economy, Nigeria’s Marine and Blue Economy Minister, Adegboyega Oyetola has also embarked on series of infrastructural development, educational development of the training curriculum at MAN, Oron in line with the core mandate of the Academy with respect to seafarers training and development, especially as these trainings are done in line with STCW convention, a key component of evaluating maritime nations.
It would be recalled that in an exclusive interview in 2013 with Ashok Mahapatra, then Senior Deputy Director, Maritime Safety Division at IMO, during a visit to Nigeria to represent the Secretary General of IMO, he noted that “the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron is well placed to provide the Maritime manpower for the entire West Africa and beyond . It has the capacity and facilities to play a leading role in manning of vessels as well as provide leadership direction in African maritime domain”. According to him “Your country has the basic education, the training curriculum, the people and the manpower so your country can take advantage of this “. Inside sources in the Federal Ministry of the Marine and Blue Economy informed this magazine Reporter that since coming to office, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola has ensured that the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron as one of the Academies recognised by IMO and Nigeria as a member of the International Maritime Organisation, IMO gets technical assistance from the IMO.
On its’ part, the management of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, knowing that training is key to the nation’s manpower development, continues to work assiduously for the annual audit of curriculum of the Academy by the IMO. The Academy has also continued to improve on its infrastructure as well as train its trainers in line with the STCW requirement. For instance, last month, the academy took the Senate House Committee members on Maritime Transport round the academy where journalists were shown at the Simulator centres, full mission engine simulators, Liquid cargo simulators, stroke engine simulators, high voltage simulators, 360° simulators, Stimulator Deck among others. The Acting Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria Dr Kevin Okonna told the Senators that two indians have been employed to assist other Nigerians in training the cadets in the multi tasked classrooms and multi-functional classrooms of the Academy. In addition the Academy’s four Engineering workshops with different engine compartments, its’ four survival pools, (where courses on survival at sea are taught) coupled with an STCW equipped survival craft that can accommodate 50 people at a go as well as the academy’s, marine workshop, dry docking yard and an e-library with lots of books donated by the IMO well position the nation’s premier academy for global training recognition.
Indeed, the state of the art simulators and other infrastructure coupled with the standard of training are enough to give Nigerians confidence that Nigeria’s investment in maritime education and manpower development under the Marine and Blue Economy Minister with the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remain a great boost to seafarers’ training and maritime education. It equally gives Oyetola, re-newed hope that Nigeria’s bid for a category C seat of the IMO’s council, would gather further boost as the Minister and his team embarked on Door to Door campaign.
This is so because beyond the IMO Council campaign, the Ministry led by Adegboyega is actively using the maritime sector as a powerful launch pad for diversifying the Nigerian economy. This according to Bolaji Akinola is clearly demonstrated by the recent launch of the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy, a visionary document that serves as a ten-year blueprint for leveraging Nigeria’s extensive marine resources to spur economic growth, create mass employment, and foster the transfer of new skills. The policy’s numerous merits include its capacity to broaden Nigeria’s economic base by opening new frontiers in shipping, fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism, thereby reducing the nation’s historical over-reliance on crude oil. It also embeds principles of environmental stewardship and resilience, positioning Nigeria as an attractive destination for foreign direct investment in critical maritime infrastructure.
Also the positive reactions that continue to trail the current status of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, because of the high class qualitative education and training, its’ international exposure and technical support from the IMO, justifies the present end-users expectations and International standard status of MAN, Oron . The self evaluation documents which MAN, Oron prepares every year for both the World Maritime University, an Institution owned by the IMO, in addition to the annual audit of the academy’s training curriculum, gives the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron in Akwa Ibom state an opportunity for it to be constantly evaluated by the world maritime university, Malmo Sweden as well as the international Maritime Organisation, IMO. Thus making MAN, Oron and other globally recognised maritme institutions’ education/training policy documents with respect to courses, programmes and curriculum recognised by the IMO.
This magazine Reporter gathered that a high delegation led by the IMO Secretary General, Mr Kitack Lim is expected to visit MAN Oron this year for the inspection of the academy’s training facilities. In line with this critical role of the IMO, the organisation therefore relates with the Transport Ministers of the 176 sitting Transport Ministers of different member countries. This may be why, His Excellency, Adegboyega Oyetola, Nigeria’s Marine and Blue Economy Minister continues to recall with fond memories, the investment in Infrastructural development by the Tinubu’s administration since the creation of the new Ministry. This also accounts for why Oyetola told delegates at the 134th session of the IMO council in London that Nigeria is not just seeking a seat, it is offering partnership, commitment and leadership. Furthermore he said Nigeria is coming to the table with a strong track record of the Maritime security, vast maritime coastline that is brimming with numerous potentials as well as a renewed national agenda anchored on collaboration and sustainability.
No doubt, the collaboration that Maritime Academy of Nigeria has with the World Maritime University and the treaties signed by Nigeria with the IMO and the bilateral relations with other maritime nations are strong enough for Nigeria to attain another milestone, and as well translate same into great strides considering the country’s vast contribution to the international sea business/trade.
Though there is no statistics of those cadets from Maritime Academy of Nigeria occupying top management and middle management positions, but a global maritime stakeholders say Nigeria’s contribution to global seafarers trade is impressive as cadets from MAN, Oron are part of the Africa voice on the global maritime stage and they repatriate huge foreign currency to Nigeria as part of boosting Africa’s contributions and influence in international maritime trade and governance.
It is also hoped that Oyetola’s effort to establish a national carrier though a public – private partnership framework will reiterate the Minister’s commitment to finding a lasting solution to the sea time experience for Nigerian seafarers/cadets. Though in an exclusive interview with Prof Bjourn Kjerive, former President World Maritime University, he told this magazine years back that International companies doing business in Nigeria can develop as part of their partnership, a social responsibility to develop the country’s maritime industry by providing for the development of certain human capacity in their operations but Dr Charles Okorefe, a university don insist that the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy should rather partner with the private sector to procure a training ship where cadets can do their Sea time practicals.
Whichever way maritime stakeholders look at it, the appointment of the Maritime Academic of Nigeria acting Rector, Dr Kevin Okonna, who is a product of bottom to top as well as an IMO recognised administrator/academics, the Nigeria’s campaign team are sure to get support from maritime nations like Tanzania, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mauritius, Angola, Cameroon, Tunisia, South Africa, Algeria, Congo, Ghana, Libya, Togo among others because of their ties with the Maritme Academy of Nigeria and the rector over a long period of time.
Also out of the 39 African countries that are recognised members of IMO many are signatures of IMO conventions and instruments to demonstrate their commitments to maritime security, safety and environmental protection. Apart from the signatory states of which Nigeria is part, the IMO also works with African countries to enhance member nations’ maritime capabilities and to address specific challenges through integrated technical cooperation programmes, ITCP.
The IMO based in London, United Kingdom, is a United Nation’s Agency responsible for regulating International shipping. Hence it is tasked with the responsibility of developing rules relating to safety and security of maritime transportation as well as water pollution.
The first IMO meeting which was held in 1959 had only 7 countries in attendance in Romanian. 176 countries now participate in IMO from five continents. All member countries of the IMO are expected to observe the regulations and traditions of the IMO. The four pillars of the IMO are Safety of Life at the Sea, SOLAS, Standard of Training, Certification and Watch keeping, STCW, the International convention for Pollution Prevention from Ships, MARPOL, and Maritime Labour Convention, MLC. The IMO has six main inter-governmental organs namely the Assembly, the Council, the Maritime Safety Committee, the Marine Environmental Protection, the Legal Committee, and the Technical Cooperation Committee, which are recognised under the IMO convention.
The IMO has triple code, the document discusses a standardised framework that helps member nation to effectively implement mandatory IMO instruments.
Since Nigeria joined IMO in 1962, it has become member of Category C in the council in 1975, 2001, 2005 and 2009. Nigeria lost its bid for Category C seat in 2011and 2019.
As Nigeria currently seeks re-election into IMO’s Council Category C, the Category C are countries selected to ensure global geographical representation on the council based on their specific interest and expertise in maritime transport and navigation, in addition to their contributions to the Council’s diverse perspectives. If elected as a Category C member in IMO’s council, it would allow Nigeria to influence global shipping policies, advocate for stronger maritime security measures as well as help to promote sustainable practices within the International shipping community.
Therefore, as Nigeria intensifies its campaign for the Category C seat bid in the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, from Singapore to Liberia and from Liberia to Greece, in order to contribute meaningfully to global maritime policies and decision making processes, Nigerians back home recognises the place of maritime training/education as a critical campaign equirement/component to indeed influence votes of member nation.
Oyetola, the Honourable Minister has also made a bold move to enhance indigenous participation in the industry. He has given a directive to NIMASA the country’s maritme administration authority to commence the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) to qualified indigenous ship owners for the first time in the over two-decade history of the fund. The merit of this action is profound as according to his Special adviser on media and communication, “it will empower Nigerian shipping companies to acquire modern vessels, generate employment for local seafarers, and reduce the massive capital flight associated with the chartering of foreign vessels, while also catalysing the growth of a self-reliant Nigerian-owned shipping fleet”. The Minister’s reforms have also delivered record-breaking fiscal gains, transforming the maritime sector into a powerhouse of national revenue. This combine with the symbolic roles MAN, Oron plays in training and re-training of cadets in Nigeria and the West Africa sub regions in addition to the re-organisation of the Academy’s training curriculum in line with the IMO standard coupled with improved infrastructure in the academy, it is therefore, the believe of stakeholders that Nigeria’s global rating in cadet training especially in Nautical science, Marine Engineering, shipping and ports operations and so on will be highly impressive.
Also the way and manner the federal Ministry of the Marine and Blue Economy has managed and promoted Nigeria’s maritime assets/potentials has earned the country IMO’s accreditation of Maritime academy’s courses and thus earned Nigeria’s seafarers more chances of employability in the International shipping trade as well as boost their global rating, unlike in time past when they rely on foreign institutions for certain training.
Indeed, the Governing Board of Maritime Academy of Nigeria along with the Acting Rector must be commended for aligning the Academy’s operations with the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda on focusing on research, innovation and maritime robotics. This no doubt has equally positioned Nigeria as a regional leader in West and Central Africa in terms of regional maritime training, policy development and vast Maritime infrastructure. The presence of the huge maritime infrastructural investment by the President Tinubu’s government is also largely responsible for Africa’s countries re-enforcement of their confidence in Nigeria’s ability to shape major continental maritime development and strategies.
The support Nigeria currently enjoys from Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa, MOWCA equally tells Nigeria that it is getting close to the mark. This much was also emphasised by Dr Maureen Tamuno, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Jamaica when he expressed delight with the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron upgrades of facilities.
Interestingly, in terms of maritime safety and security, Nigeria has recorded a zero piracy incidents in the last three years in the Gulf of Guinea, GOG. This means a lot to the IMO as it places much priority in maritime safety. Similar MAN, Oron collaboration with the Nautical institute of United Kingdom, which offers opportunity to cadets to have lectures, research materials and other digital learning support both for cadets and faculty staff is another plus to MAN, Oron. Also Nigeria’s foremost Maritime Academy now host international students from Ghana, Sierra Leone, Gambia etc for specialized training and stimulator-based courses. No wonder the Association of Marine, Engineering and Surveyors rated MAN, Oron as the best Maritime Training Institution in Nigeria for the year 2019 and 2023. The implication is that from when Nigeria last sat in Category C seat in IMO’s council till now, is a period of almost 20 years, Nigeria is currently bringing much to the global maritime table and the achievements in terms of maritime education, maritime safety and security as well as collaborations are measurable and verifiable.
As the IMO council seat election gets near, and as Nigeria intensifies its campaign, the milestone achievements of MAN, Oron in formulation of syllabus/curriculum for the training of the merchant navy cadets both on deck and engine based on the STCW convention world-class simulator training, seafarers capacity development and its impressive rating by other maritime nations across West and Central Africa, should be show-cased to the world.
Equally, in line with the goal driven spirit of Oyetola and his Ministerial team for the Category C achievable goals, the nation’s safety and security policies coupled with Nigeria’s collaborative and diplomatic relations with other Maritime nations and Nigeria’s commitment to IMO’s protocol/standard for maritime education/training etc must not be ignored. Similarly, Nigeria competence and credibility as a responsible maritime nation according to a source in the World Maritime University, Malmo, Sweden, continues to resonate. Interestingly too, Nigeria has developed a clear transport/Maritime policy with the creation of the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry unlike in years past where there was no clear policy for the Maritime sector. This good leadership qualities of the Marine and Blue Economy Minister, Adegboyega Oyetola, may account for another reason why Nigeria’s bid may just be successful this time around coupled with the training capacity of MAN, Oron and Nigeria’s adherence to SOLAS and other conventions of the IMO.
In 2005, 116 countries were in the race for the white list. Nigeria was among the 116 countries and the country won and did two terms ending in 2009. At that time Nigeria’s seafarers were certified as competent to sail on International vessels and good to work anywhere in the world, as long as they have the relevant qualifications in line with the STCW convention. The same certification and requirements are before all the countries seeking to be on the White list.
To qualify for the white list, countries are expected to show evidence that they have complied with the STCW convention. To do this, intending member nation is expected to prepare a detail report in its maritime training curriculum, including submitting the legislative structure put in place by such country. All of these including more information are submitted for review by a panel of Independent experts.
Usually the experts spend time to review/access the information provided by the countries in the race for the white list in line with the STCW convention especially concerning such countries’ ability to meet the standards enshrined in the different facets of the Convention.
Though some international maritime observers are of the opinion that this year’s race will come with it’s own criteria. Whatever happens, those who have been following the Door to Door campaign strategy of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy say , this time Nigeria’s chances are brighter following the diplomatic moves coupled with the maritime training/education curriculum already put in place in addition to the legislative framework and maritime safety and security measures that have so far been demonstrated across the country’s maritime domain especially the near zero piracy record in entire Gulf of Guinea, may serve as a game-changer for the Category C IMO Council seat.
Indeed, the strategic milestone achieved by Nigeria under Oyetola and the agencies under the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry namely MAN, Oron, NIMASA,NPA and so on will under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration be seen as great leadership strides meant to clear the way when the IMO’s Category C Council seat election comes few months ahead. Time will tell.
https//www.south.south.com