By Francis Sadhere, Warri
The Vice-Chancellor of Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko in Gbaramatu, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, Prof. Emmanuel Adigio, has said students of the institution could build their own ships if the floating dockyard acquired for the institution by the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in 2018 is allowed to berth at Okerenkoko,
The floating dockyard designed to berth in Okerenkoko Delta State, the permanent site of the Nigerian Maritime University, has been lying idle at the Naval Dockyard in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The VC, therefore called on the Federal Government to ensure that the modular floating dockyard is allowed to berth in Okerenkoko as conceptualized.
Adigio who made this known at a press conference held at the premises of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ Warri Correspondence chapel in Delta state, stressed that the presence of the dockyard at the institution would help the student to gain a lot of experience.
He lamented that instead of bringing the dockyard to Okerenkoko, where the University is located, the Federal Government has been complaining and given reasons for it not to be brought to the institution.
“The floating dockyard that is presently domiciled in Lagos should be brought to Okerenkoko, as earlier proposed.
“The dockyard was meant to come here for the practical that students would do. But they are coming with a lot of excuse that the place have to be dredged, it’s not safe security wise, and so on and so fourth.
“The major purpose of having a floating dock is to enable our students have actual work experience. It will serve as one of our workshops. We are going to embark on ship building eventually if the dockyard is here,” Adigio said.
The Maritime University VC also said that one of the greatest challenges the institution has was that of accommodation and power.
He said despite the huge effort by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), there was still a lot that needed to be done in the maritime institution.
