The Acting Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron Mr. Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok has called on the Lecturers and Instructors to be generous in their impartation of knowledge and information to the Cadets and Students of the Academy. This he said during the Opening Ceremony of the IMO Model Course 6.09 for Lectures and Instructors in the Academy Monday, 16th January 2017.
The Acting Rector said that the thrust of his administration is to reposition the Academy to regain the lost glory of the institution, that of Cadets as well as the confidence of the maritime stakeholders in the shortest possible time.
“The content of this Course is aimed at producing quality Cadets who will compete favourably with their counterparts anywhere in the world. I commend your good services to the academy and your fatherland, I want to see a remarkable difference in every aspect of Cadets training after this programme”, he stressed.
He emphasised that it has become pertinent for all hands to be ondeck if the Academy is to regain its pride of place in the comity of maritime institutions, and if the huge potentials embedded in Nigeria’s Maritime Sector is to be fully realised and utilised.
Mr. Mkpandiok noted that his administration will give priority to issues concerning the Cadets and Students and the Lecturers as their future and that of the nation’s maritime industry depended on the quality of education given to them in the Academy.
Stressing that the essence of the 2016 IMO Model Course was to put participants in good stead to be able to raise the standard of training the Cadets receive he said, “our Lecturers integrity should remain sacrosanct, even as this Course spurs us to produce Cadets and Students that would match their contemporaries anywhere in the world”.
Mr. Mkpandiok therefore appealed to the participants to utilise the opportunity optimally, as it is compulsory to adhere strictly toset standards of the International Maritime Organisation, if Nigeria is to remain on the White List.
While emphasising the need for Lecturers to develop teaching approaches or methodologies that would endear Cadets to their lectures and courses, the Academy helmsman promised that his administration will ensure provision of Public Address Systems and other relevant educational aids for use by Instructors and Lecturers in the classrooms during lectures.
The IMO model-courses are provided to help Teachers, Instructors and Lecturers to educate and train a future useful products in the field of maritime education and training. The programme was developed out of suggestions from a number of IMO Member Governments, following the adoption of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978. Assisted by contributions from various Governments, IMO has designed the series of Courses to help implement this Convention and further, to facilitate access to the knowledge and skills demanded by increasingly sophisticated maritime technology.
The international Maritime Organization (IMO) on the other hand is an entity responsible for the world maritime affairs. As part of its commitment, IMO develops sets of model courses to assist maritime organizations of member countries involved in the education, training and development of seafarers.
A Seafarer must be equipped with the required knowledge, skills, desirable attitudes and competencies that would make him survive in the maritime world. Among these activities are offshore safety, freefall lifeboats, practical exercises, environmental protection, and survival techniques and fire fighting, to mention few. In order to meet these requirements and demands, the IMO Model Course 6.09 is one of the basic requirements.
Nevertheless, an assessment of the IMO Standard is necessary to determine the extent of compliance and its implications to maritime education and training, hence the yearly visit of the IMO Audit Team to member countries and institutions for evaluation.
With the Acting Rector, Mkpandiok A. Mkpandiok at the opening ceremony were members of his Management: Director, MAN Consultancy Services, Dr. Kevin Okonna; Director School of general Studies, Mrs. Atim Ikara; Head of Public Relations, Mr. Siddi Mkpandiok; Head of Quality Control/ SERVICOM, Mr. T. Dunya, among others. The Course, which is in fulfilment of Academy’s adherence to IMO Standards, is billed to last for two weeks.
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