NPA Commissions 380 Capacity Training School with Simulations, Automated Library in Lagos

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), on Wednesday commissioned its Dockyard Training School in Lagos.

The Managing Director, Muhammed Bello-Koko led the management team, industry stakeholders, and other guests to commission the training school which has the capacity of training 380 persons per time as it consists of a lecture theatre with seating capacity of 73 persons, a large hall with seat capacity of 112; a mini hall with seat capacity of 50 people.

The training school has another hall with 27 and six simulation classrooms that seats 16 persons each, including a fully automated library with seating capacity for 120 persons and a hostel with 30-bed capacity.

The NPA boss also assured that work is at advanced stages to transform the agency’s Riggers Workshop to a marine and Seamanship Workshop to be deployed for training in the area of Seamanship Practical, Radio/Signal, Marine Engine/Auxiliaries. Buoyage Practical, Mooring and other Marine related competencies which are increasingly in demand not just in-house but indeed in the industry.

According to him, these trainings will significantly help to insulate NPA and it’s stakeholders from the grave risk of talent deficit.

Speaking, he said “The decision to invest so much in this facility took cognizance of our former employees, some of whom although retired are actually not tired. We intend to tap into their wealth of experience and institutional knowledge by inviting them as resource persons to train upcoming employees.

“Consistently up-skilling and re-skilling our employees on whom we place a very high premium is our overriding objective as a management team, and our readiness to position them to be best in class, is at the core of what this training school sets to achieve

“Let me, therefore, seize this moment to recommend this facility for patronage by sister agencies in the maritime sector and other industry players who are desirous of a best-in-class training platform for their employees.

“This commissioning is also a reminder that our drive towards attaining the compliance status for Quality Management System (ISO 9001), Environment Management System (ISO 14001) as well as Occupational Health & Safety Management System (ISO 45001) is no fluke, and all hands must be on deck to make it a reality.”

Present at the commissioning were the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh; Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe; Chairman, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Princess Vicky Haarstrup; Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Dr George Moghalu; Professor Pat Utomi and others who all gave goodwill messages before the commissioning of the facility.