MAN, Oron gets Simulators in February - Rector

The Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron yesterday said its recently acquired simulators for the training of cadets will arrive the country in batches from February 2020.

In a chat with newsmen, the rector of the academy, Commodore Emmanuel Effedua (rtd) said fifteen lecturers of the Academy have arrived lndia for a one-month training on manning the simulators.

According to the rector, with the simulators, cadets will be effectively trained on Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), Electronic Charts, Blind Pilotage, Tactical Navigation, Ship Stability, Rules of the Road as well as High Voltage training.

His Words, “We shall be receiving the three simulators from mid-February to April this year. The first that shall arrive is the Full Mission Bridge Simulator, which 15 lecturers of the Academy are learning to operate now on India. Once we receive Ministerial approval, another set of 15 lecturers will also proceed to India for training. We made sure we added the component on training our staff who will man them (simulators) in the contract. That’s where we are now.”

“We shall also receive the Full Mission Engine Rooms Simulator and the Multifunctional Classroom which can accommodate 30 cadets at a time before the end of April.

“With that, we shall be first in the sub-continent to own such equipment and these have a multiplier effect on the industry. These equipment are the latest. They are modern, not generic. Built for purpose.

“A lot has been said about High Voltage training, the simulators will handle that now. The maritime industry can leverage on this too for refresher courses. We shall be open to also discuss with schools that want to use our equipment for training.

On the school’s focus this year, Effedua stated that conscious effort is being made to broaden the school’s training portfolio, purchase more training equipment and have a Quality Assurance firm audit the Academy.

He disclosed that he had just returned from Scotland where discussion for the acquisition of a Helicopter Underwater Training Equipment.

He said these are important steps to placing the Academy on the global map and ensuring that Nigerians get the best quality in terms of maritime education.

The Academy expects to make the procurement and secure the needed approval to run the OPITO Certification programmes by December.

“We just returned from Scotland. We are beginning the process for the procurement of Helicopter Underwater Training Equipment. We are also in discussion to add OPITO Certification to our training. The third area we are looking at this year is to invite a Quality Assurance company like DNVGL and Veritas to audit the Academy towards the end of the year”, the Rector stated.