The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has commenced moves to overhaul the curriculum used by maritime training institutions as part of efforts to improve the quality of seafarer education and strengthen international recognition of Nigerian maritime certificates.
Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, disclosed the plan during a working visit by the Governing Board of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Oron, led by its Chairman, Kehinde Olayinka Akinola, to the agency’s headquarters in Lagos.
Mobereola said NIMASA was reviewing the 2017 Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping, STCW, curriculum used by maritime training institutions, with the intention of benchmarking the country’s training system against internationally accepted standards.
According to him, updating the curriculum is essential if Nigeria is to produce seafarers capable of competing for employment opportunities in the international shipping industry.
“For over 32 years, Nigerian training institutions have been operating with obsolete curricula. NIMASA is determined to review the curriculum and benchmark against the very best globally acceptable standard,” Mobereola said.
He added that the objective was to ensure that certification obtained by Nigerian seafarers enjoys greater global recognition.
Training Reform Targets Global Maritime Jobs
The planned curriculum review has implications beyond the classroom.
International shipping is a highly regulated industry in which the qualifications, practical experience and certification of seafarers are governed by internationally recognised standards.
The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers establishes minimum international requirements for training, certification and watchkeeping.
NIMASA is responsible for certification of Nigerian seafarers and for supervising, monitoring and accrediting maritime training institutions offering STCW programmes and other seafaring courses.
Improving Nigeria’s training and certification system could therefore strengthen the ability of Nigerian officers, engineers and ratings to compete for jobs aboard internationally operated vessels.
Mobereola said effective cooperation between NIMASA and MAN Oron remained important to developing the maritime professionals required to support Nigeria’s Blue Economy.
Reform Builds on New Seafarer Standards
The latest initiative also follows a broader reform of seafarer education and certification announced by NIMASA in August.
Under that framework, NIMASA and the National Board for Technical Education approved updated National Diploma and Higher National Diploma curricula in Nautical Science and Marine Engineering Technology for Maritime Education and Training Institutions.
The framework covers education, training, assessment, examinations, certification, revalidation, endorsement of foreign certificates and medical fitness certification, with the requirements aligned with the STCW Convention.
NIMASA also introduced mandatory bridging courses for holders of ND and HND qualifications in Nautical Science and Marine Engineering issued on or before July 3, 2026, to help affected seafarers transition to the new standards before the transition period expires in December 2028.
A mandatory 15-week education and training programme was also introduced for ratings seeking specified Certificates of Proficiency.
The combination of curriculum reform, certification changes and greater emphasis on practical experience suggests Nigeria is attempting a broader restructuring of how maritime professionals are prepared for employment.
MAN Oron Seeks Training Vessel
A major issue raised during the engagement was practical sea-time training.
Akinola said the Maritime Academy of Nigeria had developed a five-year development plan to strengthen its training capacity, with the acquisition of a dedicated training vessel forming a key component.
Such a vessel would provide cadets with greater opportunities for practical and sea-time experience, complementing classroom and simulator-based training.
Sea-time is particularly important in maritime career development because academic qualifications alone are insufficient for many professional certifications.
NIMASA itself notes that maritime education combines theoretical instruction and practical training with a mandatory period of seagoing experience, while seafarers must demonstrate prescribed competencies before progressing professionally.
Liberian Partnership Could Open Sea-Time Opportunities
MAN Oron is also exploring international partnerships that could address some of those practical-training constraints.
Akinola disclosed that representatives of the Liberian Maritime Administration and a Liberian maritime training institution recently visited the academy and expressed interest in collaboration.
One potential outcome would be opportunities for Nigerian cadets to undertake sea-time training aboard Liberian-flagged vessels.
That could be particularly valuable because access to vessels for mandatory sea service has long been an important link between maritime education and professional certification.
If the partnership materialises, Nigerian cadets could gain practical experience aboard internationally operating vessels while improving their exposure to global shipping standards.
Human Capital Critical to Blue Economy
The reforms come as Nigeria attempts to increase the contribution of maritime activities to the economy under the Federal Government’s Blue Economy agenda.
Ports, shipping, shipbuilding and repair, marine services, fisheries and other ocean-related industries require skilled personnel if the country is to capture more economic value from its extensive coastline and maritime resources.
For NIMASA, upgrading the curriculum is therefore not simply an educational reform.
It is also part of a broader effort to ensure that Nigerian maritime professionals possess qualifications and practical experience that can compete internationally.
Successful implementation will ultimately depend on whether the new standards are consistently enforced across approved institutions, whether training facilities keep pace with the revised curriculum and, crucially, whether cadets can obtain the sea-time required to progress from training into professional employment.
