The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is set to certify Officers and Ratings of the Nigerian Navy in line with the requirements of Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW).
This was made known by the Director-General of the Agency, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, when the Flag Officer Commanding, Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), Rear Admiral Ifeola Ogunmola Mohammed, led a delegation to NIMASA.
The D-G, who said that training was pivotal to the development of an excellent officer, also assured the FOC that the Agency will immediately commence the process of certifying the officers and ratings of the Nigerian Navy who have satisfied all the requirements.
According to him, “training is the way to go in order to ensure professionalism in responding to marine incidences. If we must achieve our shared objective of securing our maritime sector, synergy is key and as the Regional Coordinator for Search and Rescue in West and Central Africa, we have to ensure that our training conforms to the needs of protecting our maritime space”.
The D-G who said that the Agency welcomes the suggestion by NAVTRAC to train some of NIMASA personnel further assured the Navy of continuous collaboration for the overall growth and development of the Nigerian maritime industry.
Earlier in his remarks, Rear Admiral Mohammed called on NIMASA as the Agency in charge of certification of seafarers to certify officers and ratings of the Nigerian Navy trained by NAVTRAC so as to become useful to the maritime industry even after retirement from the Navy.
The FOC also reeled out areas of cooperation between NIMASA and the Flag Command to include training in search and rescue operations and Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). He said the Navy has dedicated ships and simulators amongst other relevant training equipment which NIMASA staff can take advantage of.
In his words: “We will need to synergize with NIMASA in some specific training such as Search and Rescue type training, Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) training and other relevant trainings which would make officers competent and rise to the challenges that can be faced during the course of working at sea now and after retirement”.
Rear Admiral Mohammed agreed with Peterside that NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy operate in the same jurisdiction and therefore there is the need for the two Agencies to foster a closer working relationship and understanding for the benefit of securing the Nigerian maritime domain.
