At least 50,000 seafarers are needed for the shipping industry to realize its full potential and stimulate the desired economic growth in Nigeria, the This Day newspaper reported on Monday.
Citing Temisan Omatseye, director general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the report said the shipping industry in Nigeria has become dominated by foreigners due to the manpower gap.
The official attributed the problem to the absence of a national shipping line, the lack of interest among young Nigerians to pursue careers in the sector, and the apparent disconnect between government policy framework, the institution designed for policy implementation and the maritime industry.
According to the NIMASA boss, Nigeria lost the perfect laboratory platform for breeding young sailors since the early 1990s when the Nigerian National Shipping Line collapsed and its fleet completely depleted.
He said that though the Nigerian Maritime Academy in southeast Nigeria Cross River State has been churning out professional seamen over the years, the institution has limited capacity as it can produce only about 200 seamen each year.
Beyond this limitation, he said, graduates of the Nigeria Maritime Academy lack access to ocean going vessels which they would have used to earn the necessary man hours required for their professional qualification.
Omatseye expressed hope that with the ongoing collaboration between the Academy and the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas project the industry will gradually surmount the problem. (PNA/Xinhua)
DCT/utb
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