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By Steve Agbota
The Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), has entered into partnership with Stoilic Shipping Limited, to commence a full-scholarship sea-time training for 10 cadets as part of efforts to deepen the nation’s seafaring capacity and capability in the country.
Speaking at the ceremony in Lagos on Tuesday, the NCDMB Manager, Human and Capital Development, Mr. Timbiri Augustine, told the cadets that the agency takes the training very serious, adding that commitment is key because the programme is very expensive and the conduct of the trainees has more implications for the country.
He warned them not to be distracted, adding that challenges abound on the way, including turbulent weather, different environments, language barrier, unfriendly captains, among others.
Timbiri, who represented the Managing Director of NCDMB, stated: “We are building capacity and capability, but we are not limiting the utilisation of this capacity to the Nigerian maritime and oil gas industry. The training is the type that will take you to other countries of the globe.”
He said that so far, NCDMB has trained 76 cadets some of whom were still doing their CoC on full scholarship, while this tranche of 10 is the first with Stoilic Shipping.
He further charged Stoilic to do as assured in its proposal, in order to earn the confidence of NCDMB and sustain the partnership.
On her part, the Executive Director of Stoilic Shipping, Mrs. Irene McFoy, charged the cadets to change the dynamics of shipping companies not wanting Nigerian seafarers by stepping up the standards. Take ownership of your learning journey. She assured the cadets that the company and its technical partners would take them through many training modules and placed them on ocean-going vessels, where they must start preparing for their CoC.
More so, she urged them to interact, be humble and learn from their teachers, comply with the rules, safety guidelines and all given ethical values of the maritime profession and their particular field.
According to her, the company, as a major private sector leader, wants Nigeria to be one of the foremost countries supplying seafarers to the international maritime industry just like the Philippines.
Noting that at least 28 per cent of the Philippines’ revenue comes from seafaring, McFoy, who was in charge of the cadet training at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) before retiring, insisted that there is nothing stopping Nigeria from being the best, or even better than the Philippines.
She commended NCDMB for the partnership, noting that Nigeria is a littoral state, and has the manpower, and the intelligence. All we need is get these students properly harnessed and Nigeria will do very well in the maritime sector.
Also, the Managing Director of Stoilic Shipping, Mr. Lotanna McFoy, urged the cadets to write their names in gold and always remember where they are coming from.
stating: “When discouraged, tired, remember that there are many of your fellow graduates out there who yearn for this opportunity.
