Thirty cadets of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, have secured mandatory one year sea-time placement with Nigerian Liquidified Natural Gas (NLNG) Shipping and Marine Services Limited (NSML,)to boost to Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.
The cadets were formally inducted on Friday into the programme, which will see them undergo practical training aboard NLNG vessels as part of requirements for professional certification and global maritime competitiveness.
Delivering remarks on behalf of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, the Director of Information and Public Relations in the ministry, Anastasia Ogbonna, said the initiative marked a critical step in strengthening Nigeria’s maritime human capital.
Ogbonna in a statement signed on her behalf by Desmond Adyo noted that providing cadets with hands on experience at sea was essential to bridging the gap between classroom instruction and the operational demands of the global shipping industry.
According to her, the placement reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to youth development and its broader objective of positioning Nigeria as a leading maritime hub.
Earlier, the Acting Rector of MAN, Dr. Kevin Okonna, said the deployment of the 30 cadets was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the strategic vision of the marine and blue economy ministry.
Okonna attributed the breakthrough to the recently approved National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy, which he said prioritises industry partnerships and has opened up critical sea-time training opportunities for Nigerian cadets.
He described the collaboration between MAN and NSML as a practical response to longstanding challenges faced by cadets in securing sea-time experience.
The rector stressed that the partnership would enhance Nigeria’s capacity to supply skilled manpower to the global maritime industry.
Also speaking, Managing Director of NSML, Abdulkadir Ahmed, said the induction marked the first milestone of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding signed in December 2025 between the company and the academy.
Ahmed said the agreement was designed to bridge capacity gaps in the maritime sector through structured sea-time training and world class simulator-based learning.
He urged the cadets to embrace discipline, resilience and professionalism as they begin what he described as a transformative journey in the maritime profession.
The sea-time placement is a mandatory requirement for certification of seafarers and is considered a crucial step toward producing globally competitive maritime professionals.
