NSML Restates Commitment To Employ More Nigerian Seafarers

The Nigeria LNG Ship Management Limited (NSML) has restated it’s commitment as Nigeria’s largest employer of seafarers to build capacity of the country’s professionals in seafaring

 

Managing Director of the company, AbdulKadir Ahmed, which is a subsidiary of the Nigeria LNG Limited, said in Lagos at a media parley that it’s first decade of existence has achieved bringing in international expertise into the nation’s maritime industry.

 

Ahmed said the company, which has its own board will focus on indigenous capacity improvement of it’s almost 700 seafarers with a view to making it’s 85 percent Nigerian dominated by 2022 without compromising standards.

 

He said the company will reserve 15 percent space for foreign personnel for the company to enjoy global cultural mix and international acceptability

 

From a modest 16 Nigerian officers in 2010, Ahmed disclosed that the officer cadre has grown to over a hundred Nigerians while it’s more than three hundred ratings are wholly Nigerians.

 

NSML is working with Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) under the seafarers continuous capacity development where more than a hundred cadets have benefitted from the sea-time opportunity, which is a mandatory requirement for employment of seafarers onboard ships.

 

According to him, the company, which is Nigeria’s highest employer of seafarers with additional strength of over 60 shore based staff,started as an in house ship management company in 2010 and has evolved into provision of manning service, terminal management, fleet management , maritime consultancy services and enhanced capacity building with the creation of a Maritime Center of Excellence ( MCOE) based in Bonny Island.

 

Also installed and operational in the MCOE are Vessel Traffic Information Management System (VTIMS), Liquid Cargo Operation [LICOS] Simulator, Multipurpose Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS)/Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) and mini-bridge simulators and Multipurpose mini-engine simulators

 

Ahmed led reporters into a virtual view of the MCOE showing its state of the arts maritime training facilities fitted with modern simulators such as the full mission bridge, full mission engine room and other modern training gadgets aimed at improving on acquired skills or knowledge of it’s employees.

 

With it’s managed Bonny Gas Transport (BGT) vessels plying all maritime routes under Bermuda flag for wider acceptability across the globe, Ahmed said it’s parent company produces an average of 400 cargoes annually.

 

On the technical management of vessels, he said there are 12 in total where 11 are Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and one is Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).NSML

provides crew to all BGT vessels including 2 vessels managed by Northern Marine management ,which is a second Fleet manager and LPG Alfred Temile

 

The lone LPG vessel , according to Ahmed, came into use in the face of Covid19 pandemic in March 2020 when his company took delivery of it from South Korea, describing the feat as a new vista for NMSL which points to possibility of the company successfully veering into other areas of maritime business .

 

Ahmed said NMSL has attracted and will continue to source for competent Nigerian professionals with requisite certifications to sustain and improve on it’s world class standard operation in the maritime industry

 

Among the array of outstanding Nigerian staff members are Captain Yusuf Hambali, first Nigerian LNG vessel Captain; Adewale Adejuwon , first Nigerian Deputy Fleet Manager ; Ms Ogadimma Nwankwo, Maritime Engineer Cadet of the Year 2008 at Warsash Maritime Academy and Captain Abiodun Laleye, first Nigerian LNG Dual Fuel Diesel Electric (DFDE) ship Captain

 

The company is also working to give back to the community in many ways including the “Clean Water Initiative” campaign as part of Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) to highlight the effects of plastics, debris and other maritime litters on the waterways in Nigeria.

 

The initiative focuses on actions, advocacy and public awareness to curb the devastating effects of plastics, debris, litters on the aquatic ecosystem; and their overall impact on the global maritime environment.

 

It is also an integral part of NSML’s corporate brand management plan activities. The initial scope of coverage will be NSML’s primary areas of operation (AOP)– The NLNG Terminal in Bonny and the jetty in Port-Harcourt.

 

The plan is to ensure proper clean-up and maintenance of the waterways at these areas of operations; whilst extending the initiative in subsequent years to the inland waterways in Rivers State; and subsequently the national space.

 

The initiative was launched at the occasion to celebrate the IMO 2020 World Maritime Day, in September last year, in line with the theme of the event – “Sustainable Shipping for a Sustainable Planet”-.

 

The NSML Terminal Services team kickstarted the campaign by organising a clean-up exercise of the NLNG Bonny waterfront . It plans to further implement and expand the ideals of this campaign in the coming years as part of the company’s overall CSR, and stakeholders engagement plan upon appropriate approvals

 

Ahmed answered a few reporters’ questions during the parley in  Lagos. Excerpts below:

 

INDIGENISATION

As I have mentioned, within NSML, as technical manager, we have a “Nigerianisation” policy and strategy which is about ensuring that we develop, engage and promote Nigerian seafarers so that we can get to a stage where the majority of people on those vessels are Nigerians.

As of 2020, we have 83% and the target is a 100% by 2022. However, recognising the international nature of our trade, we felt that it was expedient to have some mixture of foreign seafarers on the book. So we will keep it at 85% Nigerians and 15% foreign seafarers just to have that cultural mix and be able to benefit from what is happening all over the world.

 

 

 

RELATIONSHIP WITH MARITIME ACADEMY IN ORON

The relationship with MAN, Oron, which is a relationship that we have had for quite a while is one that has continued. Nigerian LNG as a group has provided a lot of support to the Maritime Academy in Oron, not only in terms of technical equipments, but equally in terms of training and connections with reputable international maritime institutions.

For example, there is an ongoing relationship with Warsash so that you build the capacity and ensure that the certification that comes out of that academy is accepted internationally.

Similar to the Nigerian flag issue, it is an ongoing activity obviously driven, primarily by NIMASA, and everybody is supporting it. We at NSML and also within the group continue to participate in that and we will definitely continue to provide whatever is needed or support required so that the institution can be upgraded.

I think the beauty of it is that, and I read some couple of weeks ago,  the honourable minister of transportation, Chibuike Amaechi is very keen about the upgrade.

I know that they recently acquired some more equipment . Nigeria LNG and NSML are fully aligned and supportive of that because it will provide avenue for the training and certification of Nigerian seafarers beyond employments in Nigeria.

The idea is not just to be employable in Nigeria. Seafaring is a global industry and the most important thing is to provide jobs for our youths, knowing the challenges we face as a country from the issue of youth unemployment, which is one veritable opportunity for all of us.

If we can really work to ensure that we upgrade and make the certifications provided by Oron acceptable internationally, then you are providing the opportunity for Nigerians to go into seafaring and to be employable internationally.

 

When you look at all projections, the industry is actually going through manpower shortage. The growth of the industry has led to significant amount of shortage in terms of qualified manpower, and there is an opportunity there. I think that opportunity is really about trying to push so that we have that seafaring culture and we end up just like India, the Philippine or Ukraine as a seafaring nation. We have the people and capacity, but we need all hands on deck to achieve that.

 

ORIGIN OF NIGERIANISATION

 

In the beginning, that was the purpose and intent when NSML was set up. It was set up as a manning company, recognising that we are a Nigerian company playing a role in providing opportunities for Nigerians.

So the initial vessels were managed and manned by foreigners, and the idea was setting up an entity that would then train people, so that we can slowly take over.

If my numbers serve me correctly, we had 16 officers when we started, to the extent where we are almost 300 with half of them Nigerians. So the Nigerianisation objective started from the beginning and we can see the trajectory of growth; we can see the success, where today we are talking about having a 100% by 2022.

We are currently at 53 percent of Nigerian officers. Hundred percent of the ratings onboard our vessels are Nigerians and more than 60% of officers onboard these vessels are also Nigerians.

So we started from the beginning and we have made tremendous progress to the extent where we believe we have been able to primarily satisfy that objective of when we started. A lot of people have gone through our vessels both in terms of training, and work to develop their capacities and people are serving on vessels all over the world having passed through NSML.

 

ASSISTING CADETS WITH SEA-TIME

 

About the contribution to the training of cadets on our vessel, I think that is a perennial challenge, not just within Nigeria but globally. because beyond just your certification, going through the maritime academies, you also need to have sea time to be able to finalise and get your certification, and that was something we realised.

NSML as a company started our training and giving cadets the opportunity to sail onboard our vessels so that they can get their final certification. We are now working with NIMASA under the seafarers continuous development programme to give sea time opportunity  to qualified seafarers that have gone through the maritime institute but need the required sea time so that they can finalise their certification.

So far, we have been able to give over 100 cadets’ sea time opportunity onboard our vessels to get their certifications. That is something we are happy about and we also appreciate the important role NIMASA has played in that respect.

 

And as we go on, the activity continues, so that we can provide sea time for young seafarers who need it for their certification. But then it goes beyond that. It is also about providing opportunities for them to be gainfully employed.

NSML within the limit of our requirement as the single largest employer of qualified seafarers in Nigeria, will continue to absorb as many as we can within the limit of our requirements.

We hope that as the industry continues to expand, these qualified seafarers that have gone through training and sea time with us at NSML will form the bedrock of the Nigerian maritime sector. That is why I used to call them the NSML alumni because they are equally part of us and we are glad to see them continue to progress in their careers.

 

 

 

MARITIME CENTER OF EXCELLENCE (MCOE)

On Maritime Centre of Excellence (MCOE) and the cost of training, let me explain something. Normally with seafaring, there is a basic qualification which is what Maritime institutions actually provide.

So the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron and other various training academies in Nigeria train and provide certifications for various elements of ratings, and even those international ones like Warsash in the UK and the Philippines. Those are institutions that provide foundational training that require you to be certified as a seafarer.

 

What MCOE provides is that step forward – the additional step. We are not providing the foundation. The people we attract are those that have gone through the foundational course and have acquired the certificate of proficiency and competence and are now seafarers, but they need additional knowledge to upgrade their skills level to manage and operate vessels internationally.

 

MCOE HELPING TO ADJUST TO EVOLVING VESSEL TECHNOLOGY

 

 

This is even more so because one of the industry that has been going through tremendous technological changes is the shipping industry. We spoke about the proportion system. A few years back we had the six DFDEs, when we went for those, they were cutting edge.

We were very happy to have them on our fleet because they represent the cutting edge of technology. In five years, the world has moved from where we are now talking about new types of fleets, and we can see the impact of technology on vessel proportion.

So if you have the foundation training, you will also need to have additional knowledge to be able to manage these new technologies that are coming into the equation. That is what MCOE is able to provide.

 

On the cost, they say anything that is good cost money. But I think more importantly in seafaring, there are quite some number of institutions, state governments, NIMASA, etc that provide sponsorship apart from the private sponsors. So it is open to everybody interested. Seafaring is a well paid profession.

 

We need to get to that level where we will see those certifications upgraded and accepted internationally and then the flagged state will say yes, they are happy with that.

So that is the work we must continue. It is the work we sincerely believe we are on course and will achieve. Like I always say, the development of an industry is not a single entity’s responsibility, it is a collective responsibility. Ultimately, NIMASA is accountable, but we are all in this together.