By Steve Agbota
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola has said that the the Federal Government will will create job opportunities for youths through the maritime industry in the country.
The Minister stated this yesterday at an education to employment transition program held at the University of Lagos. The event with the theme “Blue Career Insights”, was organised by the university and Employment Clinic.
According to him, the current administration places high premium on education, and since conventional approaches have yielded minimal impacts, saying the Ministry would explore new and innovative ways to tackle age long problems in educational institutions.
“In this regard, there will be training programs and certifications by the private sector to equip youths with the necessary skills for various maritime careers, exchange programs between Nigerian universities and international maritime institutes to expose Nigerian students to global best practices and advanced technologies,” he said.
He also said that the government would award scholarships to students pursuing maritime studies to ensure access to quality education and training.
He urged Nigerian youths to explore the opportunities in the industry, pursue their passions, contribute to the growth and development of the blue economy and be good ambassadors of the university.
However, the Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dayo Mobereola assured that the Agency would continue to invest in capacity development and projects targeted at the youths.
He stated that the Agency is working at concluding the construction of the Institute of Maritime Studies, University of Lagos building which is almost at 70 per cent completion stage.
“Institute of Maritime Studies was established by NIMASA in Universities across the six geo political zones of the country. They provide specialized training and research in maritime studies, addressing the needs of the maritime industry in Nigeria and beyond.
“They offer courses and programmes that cover various aspects of maritime operations, management, and technology with Key areas of focus such as maritime law, shipping management, port operations, marine engineering, and logistics,” the NIMASA DG added.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, said the program was initiated to equip the students with employability skills and to reduce graduate unemployment in the country.
She urged the students to be attentive and make good use of the opportunity before them.