NIMASA budgets N30bn to train 5,000 seafarers in 10 years

By The Citizen

The  Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Tuesday, said  it is targeting to train over 5,000 seafarers in another ten (10) years following the dimension the National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) has taken.

Disclosing to newsmen at the send forth party to send another 191 young Nigerian cadets to the Arab Academy for Science Technology and Maritime Transport in Alexandria Egypt, NIMASA's Director General Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi stated that a few thousands of young Nigerians would have completely gone through the training in the ten years as this would further boost the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Akpobolokemi said that the agency is making a huge budget for the sea time training aspect of the programme adding that the package is a complete one that will not leave this category of Nigerians ill-equipped for the future. He also explained that the government is developing maritime institutions along side the NSDP project.

'At the pace we are going, all things being equal, a few thousands of Nigerians would have been trained at the end of the decade' he said.