AMES Mulls Partnerships with Dangote Refinery, NIMASA to Provide Seatime Training for Cadets

L-R: Chief Isaac Jolapamo founding President of Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA) President of AMES, Eng Israel Obadan, Capt Emmanuel Ihenacho and Nigerian Navy Rear Admiral Baratuaipri Iyalla at the AMES 2025 Summit
…As NIMASA DG, Mobereola Laments Shortage of 30,000 Seafarers to man Nigerian-registered Vessels
By DAPO OLAWUNI
The Association of Marine Engineers and Surveyors (AMES) has said that it is proposing a partnership with the Dangote Refinery, as well as the apex maritime regulatory agency; Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to provide seatime training for cadets passing out from Maritime Training Institutions (MTIs) in Nigeria.
President of AMES, Eng Israel Obadan stated this while speaking on Thursday in Lagos during the 16th Marine and Technical Summit of the Association of Marine Engineers and Surveyors (AMES) with the theme; “Maritime Transport &Blue Economy: Route to Sustainable Success”
Obadan expressed concerns that many of the maritime professionals in Nigeria are aging away without proper replacements in place
Speaking, he said “Training is a perennial problem, particularly in ensuring the younger generation is equipped to take over from us. We are planning to make several proposals, especially with the developments like the new Dangote refinery. We can leverage what is being done by AMES, we are sending a proposal to the regulatory body like NIMASA to join with Dangote refinery.
“This idea is quite novel. We’re proposing a method to integrate cadets and junior professionals from the maritime training institutions (MTIs) for their practical training programs (Sea Terms).
“Without this practical training, one cannot qualify as a marine engineer internationally. These sea training courses are mandatory, and various speakers have outlined them. As new conventions are introduced, the requirements only increase.
“Training is just one aspect; shipping development is another critical issue. We are not making enough progress—we’re not acquiring new vessels. Other countries are advancing technologically with their fleets, particularly in international shipping.
“We need to re-engage in international shipping like we used to. This area has diminished significantly, and although we argue that the government shouldn’t take charge, they must at least formulate policies that allow the private sector to step in.
“The government has no business being in business but should instead create an enabling environment for the private sector.
“We’ve talked about the need for incentives, such as low-interest rates for ship financing. Other countries have implemented such measures, and some continue to do so, offering rates as low as zero percent to develop their national fleet or maritime industry. However, Nigeria often misses the mark when it comes to implementing these properly” he said
Also speaking, the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr Dayo Mobereola said that for Nigeria to achieve its full maritime potential, it must continually promote the participation of Nigerians in both domestic and international commercial shipping.
The NIMASA boss who was represented at the event by Eng Patrick Eigbe, Head of Maritime Safety and Seafarers Standards, however, lamented that many out of the 45,000 cadets that the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) in Oron, Akwa Ibom State has trained since its establishment in 1979 could not progress to become seafarers due to a lack of berths and spaces on board ships for their sea-time training.
He said “Contemporary maritime education and training in Nigeria began with the establishment of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria in Oron in 1979. Originally called the Nautical College of Nigeria, it was set up to educate and train shipboard officers, ratings, and shore-based management personnel.
“In 1988, the college’s mandate was expanded to include training at all levels and for all categories of personnel across the Nigerian maritime industry. By the end of 2020, the academy had trained over 30,000 Merchant Navy Officers and more than 15,000 other workers in marine engineering, nautical science, maritime transport and business studies, shipbuilding, port operations, maritime insurance, maritime law, maritime security, and other specialized maritime courses.
“However, many trainees could not progress to become seafarers due to a lack of berths and spaces on board ships for their sea-time training.
“In response to the apparent shortage of indigenous maritime professionals and seafarers necessary for implementing government policies, several deliberate actions have been taken by the government to close the maritime manpower capacity gaps. This included the establishment of the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, as well as the National Seafarers Development Program (NSDP), the establishment of the NIMASA Science and Technical College in Okoloba, Delta State, the Nigerian Maritime University in Kurutie, Warri, and the establishment of the Institute of Marine Studies in six Nigerian universities.
“These actions were a deliberate response by NIMASA, on behalf of the government, to address the consequences of lapses in the systematic development of indigenous maritime manpower capacity”
Mobereola however said that despite these affirmative interventions, Nigeria still faces manpower gaps in the maritime industry.
He called on AMES and other professional bodies to ensure all hands on deck to ensure that Nigerian seafarers are shaped to compete with their foreign counterparts.
He said that the NSDP scholarship scheme established by NIMASA has added over 650 fully qualified seafarers to the pool of indigenous seafarers in Nigeria over a 10-year period.
“However, this figure is small compared to Nigeria’s estimated current requirement of about 30,000 seafarers to man Nigerian-registered vessels. This calls for an all-inclusive approach to seafarers’ development and for the government to consider introducing new long-term strategies and policies geared towards meeting Nigeria’s manpower capacity needs in the near future.
“While doing this, NIMASA, maritime training institutions, and key stakeholders in the Nigerian maritime industry must work together to take meaningful actions towards enhancing maritime manpower capacity in Nigeria, as NIMASA cannot achieve this alone” he said
Also speaking, former Director General of NIMASA, Barr Temi Omatseye said that NIMASA is not fully performing its role as a regulatory agency.
He said that “NIMASA staff should have a clear career path. For example, an engineer should know that after a certain period, they can become a director or qualify for a position at the IMO. However, this is not the case.
While lamenting the current stench in NIMASA as a regulatory agency, Barr Omatseye said “A Director General can move an engineer from maritime safety to an unrelated department simply because of personal preferences, disrupting their career progression. We need to professionalize NIMASA so that each employee has a defined career path that cannot be altered without their consent.
“Currently, the lack of professionalism is affecting the industry. There are surveyors approving load line certificates and other critical documents without the necessary qualifications. For example, someone with a background in English literature might be approving nautical engineering documents. This is unacceptable and undermines the credibility of our maritime sector”
“The lack of professional expertise within NIMASA is alarming. There isn’t a single nautical engineer within the agency, so who is approving the critical safety and construction documents? We need to speak truth to power and acknowledge these issues if we want to move forward.
“The truth is, we have not shown the strength needed to control our maritime economy, and as a result, foreign entities are capitalizing on our resources” he said
While delivering the first paper at the summit, titled “Overcoming Challenges Against Re-emergence of Global Shipping Lines: A Nigerian Perspective”, Chairman of Starz Shipping, Eng Greg Ogbeifun, noted that despite being positioned to be the maritime hub of the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria’s freight trade is dominated by foreign vessels because of a lack of indigenous capacity.
According to him, Nigeria is losing $9.2bn annually to the domination of her freight trade by foreign vessel owners.
Eng Ogbeifun, who also doubles as the Chairman of the Benin Port Project Technical Committee, said that there is need for the government to provide policies and incentives that would encourage local operators to participate fully in shipping.
“Nigeria’s geographical location along the Atlantic Coastline grants her a lot of access to shipping operations, making Nigeria a crucial hub for marine activities
“Nigeria currently generates about 70 per cent of the total cargo between the West and Central African regions.
“When you look at Apapa port, Tin-Can port, Warri port, Onne port, and the newly established Lekki port, all these ports are relevant in the carriage of Nigerian imports and export trade.
“It however breaks my heart that every time I look at our ports, all the quays and jetties are filled up with ships, but not one of these ships is owned by any Nigerian.
“The likes of Captain Emmanuel Ihenacho, Chief Isaec Jolapamo, and Temisan Omatseye, who bought ships in the past, the system killed their businesses. With the jobs they were providing and the economic benefits to the nation, everything went down.
“There are challenges that have made it very impossible for this country, since the demise of the Nigerian National Shipping Line in 1995, to own ships.
“So this has a lot to do with the topic of my paper titled ‘What is militating against the resurgence of Nigerian global trading?’
“Nigeria has a growing demand for shipping services, but the government has not made it possible for indigenous operators to own ships. The result of this has made Nigeria completely rely heavily on foreign ships to move her goods.
“Conservatively, Nigeria is losing about $9.2bn to foreign vessels dominance of her trade. We are the ones paying that money to the foreign vessel owners. Every Nigerian who imports or exports is paying hugely.
“I don’t think our leaders need a Prophet to tell them that they need to be in a hurry to ensure Nigerians participate in her shipping freight.
“The enabling policies need to be implemented. How can Nigerians compete with foreign vessel owners who enjoy zero duty and a near-zero tax regime? It is high time our leaders provide policies that encourage indigenous shipping in this country.”
The AMES summit had in attendance the creme-de-la-creme of the Nigerian maritime sector including former Minister of Interior, Capt Emmanuel Iheanacho, Chief Isaac Jolapamo among a host of others.
The highpoint of the summit was the presentation of awards to deserving professionals, including a posthumous award to Eng Olu Akinsoji, Nigeria’s for Registrar of Ships.