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Maritime students in Lagos have re-affirmed their support for President Bola Tinubu and the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, while calling on the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to show regulatory empathy in the implementation of its new merchant shipping certification requirements.
The position was made known during the official inauguration and press conference of the Maritime Students for Tinubu and Hamzat Movement (MSTM) in Lagos.
Speaking at the event, the Convener of the group, Omotayo Temitope, said while the movement supports high academic standards, strict compliance and global integrity in the maritime industry, regulatory transitions must not place unfair financial or administrative burden on young seafarers and students who were already progressing under previous training frameworks.
He urged NIMASA to establish clear implementation guidelines, provide subsidised access to compulsory new courses and introduce a structured transitional arrangement for affected students and cadets.
Temitope also expressed a vote of confidence in the Special Adviser on Blue Economy to the Lagos State Governor, commending state initiatives such as the Omi EKO Project for unlocking the economic potential of the state’s waterways.
He called on the state government to deepen partnerships with maritime academies to give students, cadets and young people from riverine communities access to practical sea-time berths and employment opportunities.
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Also speaking, the National Coordinator of MSTM, Oyewale Elijah Omokoyejo, appealed to the Lagos State Government to consider establishing a dedicated Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
According to him, given Lagos’ vast coastline, busy ports, inland waterways and fishing communities, a specialised ministry would provide a permanent administrative structure to coordinate maritime security, water transportation, marine tourism, fisheries and technical education.
Omokoyejo said while the movement identifies with the political vision of President Tinubu and Deputy Governor Hamzat, its core responsibility is to build a lasting institution that serves maritime youth beyond election cycles.
To drive the agenda, he announced a three-month engagement campaign across campuses, technical institutions and riverine communities in Lagos State to gather data from cadets and underserved youth.
He said the findings would be compiled into a Maritime Students Agenda to guide future engagements with government agencies and private sector employers.
Concluding their joint declaration, Temitope and Omokoyejo said empowering maritime students through fair regulation, dedicated state ministries and structured career pathways remains critical to building a competitive and resilient national maritime economy.
