MC Usman:
The Guardian 24th Nov. 2008


INDIGENES of the northern states of Nigeria may dominate the Nigerian seafaring industry in the future as the their state governors have adopted the National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) being initiated by the Federal Government through its agency, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

The programme is aimed at producing a new generation of seafarers to replace the present ones that are already ageing.

The governors at their recent meeting in Kaduna decided to send no fewer than 475 youths at 25 per state, to train as seafarers in the Federal Government's programme.

Under the programme, the federal and state governments will co-sponsor the youths' training as seafarers on 60-40 per cent basis overseas. They are, to thereafter, be employed as seafarers in the nation's maritime sector.

The northern state governors took the decision after the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Shamsudeen Ade Dosunmu briefed them on the possibilities of the job placement for their youths in the maritime sector after the training.

Dosunmu confirmed in Ibadan few days ago that the governors of the northern states had already bought into the Federal Government programme aimed at providing jobs for the youths, adding that they had all adopted the training programme for their youths.

"I was invited by the northern governors to make a presentation to them on this programme during their forum which took place in Kaduna. At the end of my presentation, the governors passed a resolution to support and adopt the seafarers development programme for their various states," he said.

Besides the northern governors, some governors in the southern Nigeria have indicated their interest in the youth employment programme.

Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala said in Ibadan few days ago that 85 per cent of employment opportunities in the Nigerian maritime sector had been taken over by foreigners. While indicating the states' willingness to partner with NIMASA to ensure the success of the youths employment programme, he expressed optimism that it had the potential of employing Nigerians to reverse the present employment trend in the nation's maritime industry.

Former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Chief Adebayo Sarumi who also spoke in Ibadan recently during the campaign/workshop on seafarers development programme, commended the Federal Government's initiative.

He advised the youths to embrace the rewarding career at sea which according to him was central to the growth of the Nigerian economy.

"I must commend the NIMASA management for taking this initiative. It is actually long over due as foreigners now dominate the Nigerian waters. This programme has the potential of totally transforming the face of seafaring in Nigeria," Sarumi said.

Delivering a keynote address at the Ibadan campaign venue, Dosunmu said that the on-going sensitisation exercise was aimed at creating genuine national awareness on the potentials of the Nigerian maritime sector, besides creating equal opportunities for all Nigerians.

The search for the youths to enlist as seafarers in Nigeria had been carried out in Enugu, Kaduna, Minna, Port Harcourt and Bauchi where the Federal Government through the National Orientation Agency took a centre stage to enlighten Nigerians on the need to take over the nation's maritime industry from foreigners through intensive training for the youths

At Minna, Governor Babangida Muazu, who is the current chairman of northern governors forum, said that if a seafarer could earn as much as $15,000 per month, it would be necessary to avail the youths in the North the opportunity to be gainfully employed, adding that unemployment among the youths was already a source of concern to the northern governors.

"We are doing everything possible to fight poverty, yet many people are not aware of job opportunities in the maritime sector. If we have paid for the youths to go to school we must find them a job. Niger State will soon be one of the top three economies in Nigeria. There are lots of job opportunities and this is just one of them. At the end of this campaign, NIMASA will ask for nomination of 25 youths from Niger State to be trained in foreign countries as seafarer. If NIMASA is paying 60 per cent the cost of the training, we will pay 40 per cent. As the chairman of northern governors' forum, I will invite the director general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for an address on this matter."

Babangida who has sound maritime background as he was once the director of Maritime Services and Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport lamented that even when many ships had been operating within the country's vast coastline, none of them had Nigerian crew members.

He said that seafaring career in Nigeria, which was dominated by foreigners, was one area where the youths could be legitimately be employed if they were well trained.

'There are so many ships that have been coming into Nigeria, yet none is crewed by Nigerians. Let us not continue to believe that we must steal to become rich. This is a legitimate way to make money and we will encourage people to participate. Let us sensitise the people that there are jobs there for them to participate. We will invite the NIMASA director-general to address the northern governors for them to put this project in their agenda.

The National Orientation Agency (NOA), which also joined the campaign aimed at galvanising the interest of the Nigerian youth in seafaring career, said that the maritime placement programme of NIMASA was crucial to the effective implementation of the nation's coastal and Inland Shipping Act (Cabotage). It would also stop the abuse of waiver to operate foreign vessels, which favoured foreigners over Nigerians.

The Agency Director General, Alhaji Idi Mohammed Faruk told the youth at Enugu then that over 120,000 jobs are available for grab by Nigerians in the maritime industry, which according too him, was capable of generating additional 16,000 jobs in the near future.

"The National Orientation Agency is pleased with the invitation to be part of the workshop and to facilitate the mobilisation of participation to ensure success. This initiative by NIMASA is no doubt timely and highly commendable."

MC Usman:
The Guardian 24th Nov. 2008


INDIGENES of the northern states of Nigeria may dominate the Nigerian seafaring industry in the future as the their state governors have adopted the National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) being initiated by the Federal Government through its agency, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

The programme is aimed at producing a new generation of seafarers to replace the present ones that are already ageing.

The governors at their recent meeting in Kaduna decided to send no fewer than 475 youths at 25 per state, to train as seafarers in the Federal Government's programme.

Under the programme, the federal and state governments will co-sponsor the youths' training as seafarers on 60-40 per cent basis overseas. They are, to thereafter, be employed as seafarers in the nation's maritime sector.

The northern state governors took the decision after the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Shamsudeen Ade Dosunmu briefed them on the possibilities of the job placement for their youths in the maritime sector after the training.

Dosunmu confirmed in Ibadan few days ago that the governors of the northern states had already bought into the Federal Government programme aimed at providing jobs for the youths, adding that they had all adopted the training programme for their youths.

"I was invited by the northern governors to make a presentation to them on this programme during their forum which took place in Kaduna. At the end of my presentation, the governors passed a resolution to support and adopt the seafarers development programme for their various states," he said.

Besides the northern governors, some governors in the southern Nigeria have indicated their interest in the youth employment programme.

Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala said in Ibadan few days ago that 85 per cent of employment opportunities in the Nigerian maritime sector had been taken over by foreigners. While indicating the states' willingness to partner with NIMASA to ensure the success of the youths employment programme, he expressed optimism that it had the potential of employing Nigerians to reverse the present employment trend in the nation's maritime industry.

Former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Chief Adebayo Sarumi who also spoke in Ibadan recently during the campaign/workshop on seafarers development programme, commended the Federal Government's initiative.

He advised the youths to embrace the rewarding career at sea which according to him was central to the growth of the Nigerian economy.

"I must commend the NIMASA management for taking this initiative. It is actually long over due as foreigners now dominate the Nigerian waters. This programme has the potential of totally transforming the face of seafaring in Nigeria," Sarumi said.

Delivering a keynote address at the Ibadan campaign venue, Dosunmu said that the on-going sensitisation exercise was aimed at creating genuine national awareness on the potentials of the Nigerian maritime sector, besides creating equal opportunities for all Nigerians.

The search for the youths to enlist as seafarers in Nigeria had been carried out in Enugu, Kaduna, Minna, Port Harcourt and Bauchi where the Federal Government through the National Orientation Agency took a centre stage to enlighten Nigerians on the need to take over the nation's maritime industry from foreigners through intensive training for the youths

At Minna, Governor Babangida Muazu, who is the current chairman of northern governors forum, said that if a seafarer could earn as much as $15,000 per month, it would be necessary to avail the youths in the North the opportunity to be gainfully employed, adding that unemployment among the youths was already a source of concern to the northern governors.

"We are doing everything possible to fight poverty, yet many people are not aware of job opportunities in the maritime sector. If we have paid for the youths to go to school we must find them a job. Niger State will soon be one of the top three economies in Nigeria. There are lots of job opportunities and this is just one of them. At the end of this campaign, NIMASA will ask for nomination of 25 youths from Niger State to be trained in foreign countries as seafarer. If NIMASA is paying 60 per cent the cost of the training, we will pay 40 per cent. As the chairman of northern governors' forum, I will invite the director general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for an address on this matter."

Babangida who has sound maritime background as he was once the director of Maritime Services and Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport lamented that even when many ships had been operating within the country's vast coastline, none of them had Nigerian crew members.

He said that seafaring career in Nigeria, which was dominated by foreigners, was one area where the youths could be legitimately be employed if they were well trained.

'There are so many ships that have been coming into Nigeria, yet none is crewed by Nigerians. Let us not continue to believe that we must steal to become rich. This is a legitimate way to make money and we will encourage people to participate. Let us sensitise the people that there are jobs there for them to participate. We will invite the NIMASA director-general to address the northern governors for them to put this project in their agenda.

The National Orientation Agency (NOA), which also joined the campaign aimed at galvanising the interest of the Nigerian youth in seafaring career, said that the maritime placement programme of NIMASA was crucial to the effective implementation of the nation's coastal and Inland Shipping Act (Cabotage). It would also stop the abuse of waiver to operate foreign vessels, which favoured foreigners over Nigerians.

The Agency Director General, Alhaji Idi Mohammed Faruk told the youth at Enugu then that over 120,000 jobs are available for grab by Nigerians in the maritime industry, which according too him, was capable of generating additional 16,000 jobs in the near future.

"The National Orientation Agency is pleased with the invitation to be part of the workshop and to facilitate the mobilisation of participation to ensure success. This initiative by NIMASA is no doubt timely and highly commendable."