Thirty-four beneficiaries of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) have finally obtained their Certificates of Competency, marking a significant breakthrough after years of uncertainty and stalled careers. The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dayo Mobereola, hailed the newly certified officers as worthy ambassadors of Nigeria, praising their professionalism, resilience and character.
He spoke in Lagos during an appreciation visit by the seafarers, who had come to acknowledge the agency’s role in resolving the long-standing challenges that had hindered their certification. Mobereola commended the officers for their determination, noting that they had chosen growth over discouragement despite enduring nearly a decade of setbacks.
He said their journey demonstrated that challenges could either limit ambition or inspire progress, and they had clearly embraced the latter. “You have weathered the storm; the future will be easier for you. We are proud of you,” he said, urging them to remain disciplined and committed to excellence.
He also called on the officers to serve as mentors to younger cadets, stressing that the Nigerian maritime sector needs skilled professionals who can compete globally. According to him, Nigerian seafarers have the capacity to thrive internationally if they maintain consistency and uphold professional standards.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Edet Uttibe Michael expressed gratitude to the NIMASA leadership for addressing what he described as a prolonged and frustrating ordeal. He recalled that after graduating from maritime institutions in Romania, many of them had spent about eight years without the required sea-time training and certification.
He said the intervention of the current management restored their hope and enabled them to achieve their professional ambitions. “We came to express our sincere appreciation for your magnanimity. You gave us hope and made our dreams come true,” he said. The agency recently introduced strategic measures to tackle the sea-time and certification bottlenecks affecting NSDP beneficiaries.
The initiative began in 2024 with the deployment of 40 cadets to Tyne Coast College’s South Shields Marine School in the United Kingdom, a move widely seen as a turning point in addressing the long-standing challenge. Of that number, 34 successfully passed and secured their Certificates of Competency.