Nigeria: UN Seafarers Day - Mariner, Others Decry Shortfall of Seafarers

The former President, Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM), Capt. Adewale Ishola has lamented the drastic shortfall of Merchant Navy and seafarers in the country.

Ishola spoke at a press briefing on Thursday in Lagos in preparation of the celebration of the UN Day of the seafareras a preamble to activities marking the UN Seafarers Day slated for Saturday, June 25, 2011 at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos.

According to him, the International Maritime Organisation over the past years extensively pronounced that people should go to sea because of the enormous potentials, the opportunities as well as the international experiences.

We are quite aware of huge job creation which the profession of seafaring could give, he said.

"The mariner recalled that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) started by sensitizing the state governments on the need to send their indigenes to sea", Ishola said.

He said the Nigerian seafarers were happy that the UN had declared June 25 as a Day of Seafarers, adding that "Nigeria should not be left behind as all maritime nations would celebrate and participate fully in the Seafarers Day".

The mariner said the match past would show-case that seafarers were important in both the nation and the global economies, adding that "Nigeria as an import-dependent nation needs more seafarers".

He said: "in line with our counterparts around the world, the master mariners association, NIMASA, National Inland waterways authority (NIWA), Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) the Nigerian Navy, Maritime Workers' Union of Nigeria, Seamen Unit, Nigeria merchant navy officers & Water Transport Senior Staff Association as well as the Maritime Reporters' Association of Nigeria (MARAN) would grace the occasion."

Ishola said state governments, presidency, traditional rulers would be present on the Seafarers' Day.

Others expected at the occasion are: cadets form both the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom State and the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology, Lagos.

He added that government should try and fulfill its promise to buy a training ship for the maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron to give the cadets sea-time experience.

He was optimistic that if the Nigeria Unity Line (NUL) is resuscitated, cadets would have more sea-time training.

Ishola also suggested that government should increase the capacity of indigenous ship owners by assisting them to have more ships.

Mariner of the Seas (Wallpaper 4) ship gallery | OceanShooter

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