The National Assembly Committees oversighting the Nigeria Maritime Administration and safety Agency (NIMASA) have assured the Agency of the needed legislative and budgetary support to grow the capacity of professionals in the industry for the good of the country and the industry.
The leadership of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport and the House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration said this while on oversight visit to Romania to assess the condition of young Nigerians studying various maritime professions at the Maritime University, Constanta, Romania under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP).
Senator Ahmed Rufai Yerima, Chairman Senate Committee on Marine Transport said the Committee will give full support to NIMASA for the implementation of the NSDP scheme because of the long term impact on the growth of the Nigerian maritime industry.
Senator Yerima who noted that the scheme has the capacity to address unemployment and properly position Nigeria in the global maritime industry also called on the beneficiaries of the scheme to put in their best in their training in order to add value to their families, country and the global maritime industry.
He advised the cadets not to expect maximum comfort at this time of training but rather to give their best for the sake of their tomorrow.
On his part, the Chairman of the House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago said the National Assembly through its relevant committees will ensure students who are enrolled in the programme get the requisite support to go through their training.
Hon. Bago observed that maritime professionals are the most important pillar in growing the industry so deserve priority attention. He noted that the National Assembly will also review the programme to ensure federal character is reflected.
He called on the students to take their studies seriously considering the enormous resources being invested in the programme and expressed satisfaction with the infrastructure available in the school for the training of maritime professionals.
He specifically charged the students to make the country proud by performing well in their examinations and be ready to join in the renewed effort to grow the maritime industry in Nigeria to international standard.
While welcoming the delegation, the Rector of the University, Prof. Cornel Panait who said Nigerian students are among the top performers in the institution further charged the students to exhibit a greater degree of discipline in their conduct.
Prof. Panait particularly commended the leadership of NIMASA for its total commitment to the programme and for prioritizing the welfare of the students. He promised that the University will deliver students who can match the best anywhere in the world.