MAN Oron makes history, admits first international students in 47 years
The Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, has achieved a remarkable milestone, admitting over 10 international students for its mandatory short courses, the first time in its 47-year history.
Rector of the Academy, Commodore Duja Effedua, who disclosed this during the 2024 World Maritime Day celebration in Lagos recently said the students are mostly from West African countries.
Effedua said since 2017 when he took over, the Academy has made remarkable turnaround, emerging as one of the leading maritime academics in the world with state- of- the- art simulators, smart classrooms and lecturers from allied nations.
His words, “I’m happy to announce to you that for the first time in 47 years, we now have international students at the Academy. They have gone round and see that we are the best so they are all coming here.
“We are not in competition with anyone but right now, we are one of the best in the world. You will recall that in 2017 when l was called upon to speak during the WMD, l shied away because back then, sincerely there was nothing on ground to show. We met a failed institution. But today, I can boast that we have one of the best academics in the world.
“Our staff strength have improved greatly. Today, we can boast of lecturers from allied nations. These are people who applied through the IMO to teach here because they see the great things we are doing.
“Now, we have the best educational facilities comparable with other maritime institutions in the world. So many critical learning facilities have been put in place.
Unlike before, the Academy now has four working simulators, one of which is a multi-functional classroom simulator that can seat up to 30 trainees at the same time, and it has about eleven other simulators embedded in it; it is multi-dimensional.
“We have also remodelled cadets hostels to accommodate just two to a room, unlike before when about 18 cadets occupied one room. All our classrooms and lecture theatres are smart, and our laboratories and engineering workshops are well equipped.”
Speaking on the theme of this year’s World Maritime Day, “Navigating the Future: Safely, First” Commodore Effedua highlighted the Academy’s focus on modernising its curriculum and ensuring cadets are well-equipped to tackle the challenges of the evolving maritime industry.
“We are navigating the future of the maritime industry at the academy. We are recalibrating because times have changed,” he said.
Effedua expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and other stakeholders for their continuous support in transforming the Academy since 2017 when he took over.
He extended an open invitation to stakeholders to visit the Academy and see the progress achieved for themselves.
The Rector also called on the maritime industry to continue supporting the institution for its growth and development.
“For those who are not familiar with us, please come. We will provide you with security, all the logistics, and take you on a fascinating tour.
“Our classrooms are smart, and our equipment is among the best. I went to Stratford University, about 600 years old, and Glasgow Polytechnic, around 400 years old. While they have great simulators, I was surprised to find that we have even better and latest simulators.
“We have an additional edge with qualified lecturers taking our cadets on sea simulation training. So your academy is today a world leader, already attracting foreign patronage.
“So we want support. MAN Oron is a national institute and a school we should be proud of,” he said.
