
A professor in the Department of Marine Engineering at Niger Delta University, Bayelsa state, Ezenwa Alfred Ogbonnaya has said that the ICT-compliant status of Nigeria’s Maritime Academy, Oron will enhance performance and recognition of its cadets in International labour market.
He said this on Wednesday while delivering a paper at the 2022 Maritime Lecture at the institute. The theme of this year’s Maritime Lecture is; “Emerging Opportunities in Global Shipping Services-Pathway for Skilled Manpower Development”. He commended the institution for upgrading ICT facilities in the institution to world-class status.
Ogbonnaya who presented a paper on the topic ” Emerging Technologies in the Global Shipping Industry: Opportunities and Threats for Maritime Workforce ” said cadets from the Academy can compete favourably in the global maritime industry.
He, therefore, urged maritime stakeholders to be prepared to receive the cadets for various engagements in the industry.
Speaking on Artificial Intelligence and implementation challenges, Ogbonnaya listed the challenges to include data Integration, Trust issues, fear of job requirements, lack of clear strategy and absence of creativity.
Read Also: SOKAPU Youth Wing condemns Southern Kaduna fresh killings
Addressing 233 graduating cadets, Ogbonnaya charged them to exhibit character in addition to learning through modern state of art ICT facilities acquired in the institution, so they can fit in the global maritime labour market.
In another lecture titled ” Career Paths and Challenges in the Industry ” Frances Inoma observed that the Shipping Industry is the most globalised one and charged the cadets to choose careers that will make them relevant in the industry.
Frances, a Crew/Commercial Manager with Bricks Shipping company listed career challenges in the industry to include industry acceptance, constant industry changes, qualification limitations and industry experience, pressure for fast achievements, work-life balance and certification as well as administration limitations.
She assured the cadets of bountiful opportunities in the maritime industry waiting to be exploited by the cadets.
233 cadets graduated from the institution.
Follow The Trumpet on all our social media platforms for more updates: