Nigerian Seafarers to start earning in Dollar – Peterside

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has said plans have been concluded for graduates of the Nigerian Seafarers’ Development Programme (NSDP) to get placed for training on Sea going Vessels for mandatory sea time which will enable the graduates to start earning, in dollar.

The Director General (DG) of the Agency Dr. Dakuku Peterside made this known in Port Harcourt during the zonal tour of the Agency’s Eastern zonal office by the NIMASA Governing Board.

Peterside disclosed that the Agency has made provisions for the mandatory Sea time for NSDP graduates in its 2017 budget proposals, as such will be qualifying hundreds of the candidates for the international labour market soon.

It would be recalled that NIMASA initiated the NSDP programme in 2009 to curb the dearth of trained and certified seafarers which is a global challenge recognized by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

“We have made adequate provision for sea time training in our 2017 budget proposal. About 2500 graduates of the NSDP programme will be assisted to get trained on Sea going Vessels for their mandatory sea time and we have concluded arrangements for the first batch to be sponsored in order to expand their chances of job placement on board ocean going vessels.

“With this, our youths will obtain the Certificate of Competency (CoC) which places an opportunity to earn in dollars along with their contemporaries internationally,” said Peterside.

Peterside restated the Agency’s commitment towards building capacity for the maritime sector thereby ensuring that Seafarers and Dockworkers get the best of training across the globe.

He stressed that NIMASA is in the process of fortifying the NSDP programme in order for Nigeria to begin to export Seafarers and earn the much needed foreign exchange. He added that the challenge had always been the mandatory sea time training which the Agency is tackling headlong.

Peterside further said that the Agency is about to begin the process of training about 800 Dockworkers, adding that these workers are the helping hands in the Port and needed specialized trainings which has not been done in recent past.