By Godwin Oritse

THE Nigerian Maritime  Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, is considering  scrapping the National Seafarers Development Programme, NSDP.

Speaking to  Vanguard Maritime Report  at the 2018 Pass-Out Parade, PoP, graduation ceremony of   the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, NIMASA’s Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Engr Rotimi Fashakin, said that the NSDP was an interventionist programme meant to immediately address the dearth of sailors in Nigeria.

Fashakin also said that the programme was not meant to be a permanent one, adding that emphasis will now be on sea time training for seafarers that are yet to get such training.

He said: “You will understand clearly that the NSDP programme has been an interventionist programme, it was not meant to be a permanent feature of the maritime structure in the country.

“Be that as it may, it means that at one time or the other, we will begin to wind down on it and concentrate on ensuring sea time for those that need.

NIMASA

“You heard part of   the statement earlier in the day that about 5,000 seafarers are still waiting for their sea time training.

“So that is where the emphasis shall be so that Nigeria can reap the benefits of merchantile marine”.

But the President of Nigeria Association of Master Mariners, NAMM, Captain Joseph Ahodeha, said that the NSDP has failed  in its objective to produce quality seafarers.

Ahodeha also said that the backlog of seafarers that have not had sea time experience should be dealt with before scrapping the programme.

He stated: “The NSDP programme has failed, there is no need to send cadets abroad for training anymore.

“They need to clear the backlog before they think of scrapping the programme.

Maritime training was never meant to be mass production of cadets without proper arrangement for their sea time training. But first of all they must clear the backlog they created”.

Former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Chief Adebayo Sarumi, toldVanguard Maritime Report  that the scrapping should be a gradual process.

A lecturer at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Engr Richard Owolabi, suggested that half of what is spent on the NSDP cadets should be used to purchase a training vessel so as to give these cadets the sea time training they needed.