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Why Nigeria’s maritime cadets still struggle with global certification – NSML MD

Published

8 months ago

April 17, 2025

In this interview, with ANOZIE EGOLE, the Managing Director of the NLNG Shipping and Marine Services Limited, Mr. Abdulkadir Ahmed, speaks on the challenges with the Nigerian Seafarers Development Program, among others

You said 2024 was a good year for NSML. Can you tell us how?

I can tell you it was our best year, whether from a profitability point of view or an operations point of view. But actually, what we are even most proud of is that it was our best year from a safety point of view. For us, the profitability bit is just on the side, it’s what we call the icing on the cake. We are in business primarily to deliver on those core tenets of why we were set up. To run a safe business, provide safety, ensure the assets under us are managed reliably so that they can be available, and create value. Now, value isn’t just about finances. Value is the service that we provide to our customers, to our stakeholders. So when we say it was our best year, it was our best year financially, but most importantly, it was our best year operationally and safety-wise.

To what extent have you achieved your Nigerianisation policy?

We have a Nigerianisation objective or goal that we have defined a very long time ago. We are a Nigerian company and, of course, we were created to provide opportunities for Nigerian seafarers to participate in the Liquefied Natural Gas shipping industry. So we defined a Nigerianisation objective, which is that we want to have, at every moment, 85 per cent of our crew onboard our vessels, Nigerians, across all cadres. Again, it’s about ensuring that we are open to the world. The shipping industry, by its nature, opens up to the world. When I talk about standards, it’s a global standard. And you want to have a cross-fertilisation of cultures, of ideas. I hope you understand what I’m saying. So that was why we kept 15 per cent, to say we would have other nationalities. And today, we have Polish, Ukrainians, Indians, Malaysians, and Filipinos, on our vessels. And it helps, when you go there, it’s one family, everybody is an NSML staff. You don’t have NSML Nigerian staff, everybody is NSML staff. They go on board, they work together, they collaborate, they run the vessels, and they run them professionally. We were able to attain our 85 per cent two years ago. So, for example, people will leave, that’s normal, people will be promoted, and we will have additional vessels to manage. We have been growing our vessels under management consistently. We just took a new, advanced mega vessel, called Axios, It’s a mega vessel. It’s a sister vessel of the Arcturus. Remember the Arcturus that we took last year? So we took a new one, just last month. We took a new vessel under our management. And it’s something we’re proud of. It’s one of the most advanced LNG vessels in operation in the world today. We are one of the few, as small as we are, of the few, technical ship managers with that kind of vessel under management. And we are providing opportunities for Nigerians to sail on those vessels. So, from a Nigerian point of view, we are very happy with where we are, as a company. We have met our targets; we aim to exceed those targets. But from the office side, we are 100 per cent Nigerians in the office. The entire leadership, the entire crew, and the staff members in the office are Nigerians.

Tell us more about the cadetship program?

Now, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency is the co-sponsor of Nigerian cadets, under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Program. Part of their certification program is to go on board, and have their sea time and that is a very fundamental aspect of their certification. So they go to the colleges first, then they go on board, and then they go back to the colleges for their final exams. So we, in conjunction with NMASA, have been one of the most consistent, in terms of providing sea time, for Nigerian cadets. So far, almost 300 cadets have sailed on our vessels, and we take this very seriously. Because it is in line with the desire to deepen the Nigerian maritime sector. We are one of the few companies with ocean-going vessels in Nigeria today. We are the only LNG technical management company, I dare say, in Sub-Saharan Africa today. So the opportunity that we give them to be on those vessels is top-notch. But most importantly, it is also a funnel for us. They come on our vessel, they train on our vessel, and we imbibe them with our standards, with our culture. And they go back to their colleges, and finish, and we can also, where the opportunities are, recruit from that group. And so far, almost 100 have been recruited within NSML. So we are very proud of that. I am sure some of you were here when we had the induction program for the Romanian Cadets, and those are people who unfortunately went to Romania and finished, but unfortunately, their certifications were not recognised. We stepped in to provide a solution to NIMASA, which is simply that they will go on our vessels, and I think about 65 of them are already on the vessels. They are about to finish their sea time, and then they will go to a maritime academy in the United Kingdom for their certification. So we are exploring multiple ways, to provide solutions and provide opportunities.

Tell us about your collaboration with the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron?

Now we collaborate with the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron. In 2014, if I remember correctly, we actually went to the school, evaluated their curriculum, identified their needs, and supported the upgrading of their facilities then. Some of our top management today all went to the maritime academy. The first Nigerian LNG Captain went to a maritime academy. We got him from there, and we sent him on further courses. So we have a good relationship with the maritime academy. And currently, we have even developed a program where we’re taking their cadets for industrial attachments. I think currently we have about 20 students from the school on industrial attachment, and this is the first time we are taking students on that from MAN, Oron. All to ensure that we provide a platform for their training and development. Now, there is a fundamental problem, but then, we are all in business to solve problems. The problem is the certification, the NMASA-accredited certification. Unfortunately, the NMASA-accredited certificate is not recognised internationally for ocean-going. So, maritime academies, as good as they are, in terms of their facility and their curriculum, at the moment, we do have a certificate recognition problem. But that’s something that we are discussing, and we are working with NMASA to find a way to resolve that. It’s more of an organisational issue than anything else. It’s not a quality issue. Let me be very frank, it’s not a quality issue; it’s a quality assurance issue. I hope you understand what I am saying. I may believe you are good. But my word would not count for somebody else. Somebody needs to have said, okay, what is the assurance process to ensure, you are good today, and you will be good tomorrow. And that is where the discussion with NMASA is going on. How do we support NMASA to upgrade their systems, their processes, to ensure others internationally can come in and say, yes, we believe, and we assure ourselves that your systems and processes of accreditation are good? It’s just a matter of perception. So those works are still ongoing. Unfortunately, because we are ocean-going, our vessels call at various international destinations. We cannot have NMASA-trained officers with Certificate-of-Competency on those vessels yet, because those certifications are not fully accepted internationally yet. But we are working towards that. We can resolve the ratings certification.

Is it safe to say that with your certification, you can take and train cadets on your own?

There’s a Maritime Academy, which is the baseline. That’s the baseline institution for the provision of maritime training. The Maritime Centre of Excellence is an Advanced Marine Training Institute. So, it’s like going to university, let’s put it to university, they are the only ones that will issue you a degree certificate. But with all the necessary certifications to ensure that your degree remains relevant and up to date, you can go to other institutes. That’s what MCOE is. So, we are not competing with the Maritime Academy or other maritime institutions. No. We are rather complementary. They are the ones that provide the basic training and COC certification. What then happens is that the additional courses over and above what you can achieve, which we are seeing now, have been accreted for a couple of those courses. And that’s what MCOE aims to be: an advanced maritime training institute that can provide advanced maritime certification in specific courses. Then we aligned ourselves with the MCA. The MCA is the UK Coast Guard and Marine Agency. They are accredited; it’s deemed to be the gold standard of maritime certificate accreditation in the world today. So, we have a partnership with an institution in the UK. The plan in place this year is to upgrade the MCOE both in terms of facility, resources, and courses so that the centre itself is 100 per cent accredited by the MCA. And what we then intend to do in doing such is that anybody who is a seafarer who needs advanced certification doesn’t have to go to the UK or anywhere else to go and get that today, they can come to MCOE. Like I said, it’s, again, it’s a plan, we haven’t implemented. First of all, we have to upgrade the centre, but we have started. Part of that is that we have achieved accreditation of two courses. They have done an audit of our facility. They have identified the things that we need to do. We need to have more. They have acknowledged what we have, and that’s why they have accredited those two courses. But we want to go beyond specific course accreditation. We want to go for full centre accreditation, which is why we are upgrading the facility. We are increasing the courses and the resources provided to MCOE to be able to do that.

You don’t need to go anywhere to go and do it, you can come to Bornny and do it, and it’s as good as you have gone to the UK to do it. MCOE doesn’t provide the COC what we are providing is, when you have the COC, is the additional certification. For example, the COC will not give you a basic tanker course.

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Columns

Orji Uzor Kalu

Published

6 days ago

November 29, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Orji Uzor Kalu MON (born 21 April 1960) is a prominent Nigerian politician, businessman, and former two-term governor of Abia State. He is widely recognized for his influence in both Nigeria’s political landscape and its private sector, particularly in media and diversified business enterprises.

Early Life and Education

Kalu was born in Abia State, where he grew up and began his early education. He later attended the University of Maiduguri but was suspended during a period of student activism. Despite the interruption, Kalu went on to build a successful entrepreneurial career before fully venturing into politics. Over the years, he completed various academic and executive programs, strengthening his profile as a businessman and public administrator.

Business Career

Before entering high-level politics, Kalu established himself as a successful entrepreneur. He is the Chairman of SLOK Holding, a business conglomerate with interests spanning:

trading

manufacturing

shipping

banking

oil and gas

His investments expanded both within Nigeria and internationally. Kalu also holds significant influence in the Nigerian media industry as the chairman and principal owner of The Daily Sun and New Telegraph, two widely circulated national newspapers. Through these enterprises, he has contributed to Nigeria’s media development, business growth, and employment generation.

Political Career

Kalu ventured into politics in the early 1990s. His major political breakthrough came in 1999, when he was elected Governor of Abia State, the first governor of the state under Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. He served two terms from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007.

During his governorship, Kalu focused on:

infrastructural development

education reforms

rural development

fiscal transparency

encouragement of local enterprise

He became known for his bold political style and his outspokenness on national issues. Kalu also played influential roles in national politics, aligning with various political parties at different times and serving as one of the notable political actors in Southeast Nigeria.

Senatorial Career

In 2019, Kalu was elected as the Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate. In the Senate, he has participated in legislative debates, sponsored bills, and advocated for policies supporting economic growth, regional development, and national unity.

Legal Challenges

Kalu faced legal controversies regarding corruption allegations linked to his time as governor. He was convicted in 2019 by a Federal High Court; however, the Supreme Court later nullified the conviction, citing procedural errors and ordering a retrial. The development became one of the most widely discussed legal cases involving a high-ranking public official in Nigeria.

Honours and Recognition

Kalu holds the national honour of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON). His political and business careers have earned him recognition across Nigeria and beyond, while his strong media presence continues to shape public discourse.

Personal Life

He is married and has children. Kalu maintains a significant influence in both political and business circles and continues to be an active figure in Nigerian public life.

Columns

THE EXECUTION OF THE 1976 COUP PLOTTERS IN NIGERIA

Published

2 weeks ago

November 24, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

On Friday, February 13, 1976, Nigeria was shaken by a tragic and violent coup d’état led by Lieutenant Colonel Bukar Suka Dimka. The most devastating outcome of this failed coup was the assassination of the nation’s then Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Muhammed. He was gunned down in Ikoyi, Lagos, as he traveled unescorted to his office at the Dodan Barracks. His death sent shockwaves across the country and marked a dark chapter in Nigeria’s post-independence political history.

General Murtala Muhammed had only been in office for approximately 200 days, yet he was deeply admired for his bold reforms, anti-corruption stance, and efforts to return Nigeria to civilian rule. His untimely death sparked outrage, mourning, and swift retribution by the military establishment.

The coup, though partially successful in its initial hours, quickly collapsed. Loyalist forces, particularly those under the command of then Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, Lieutenant General Olusegun Obasanjo, and General Theophilus Danjuma, regained control of strategic institutions. Dimka had temporarily seized the state radio to broadcast his justification for the coup, accusing the Muhammed regime of corruption and maladministration. However, his broadcast was cut short, and he fled Lagos.

Olusegun Obasanjo, after initial hesitation, accepted the call to leadership and succeeded Muhammed as Head of State. His new regime was determined to punish the conspirators severely and deter future insurrections. What followed was one of the most publicized military trials and mass executions in Nigerian history.

The Court-Martial and Executions

Over 100 military personnel and civilians were arrested in connection to the failed coup. Following military investigations and tribunals, dozens were convicted of plotting, aiding, or executing the coup attempt. The convicted officers were sentenced to death by firing squad, and the executions were carried out in two major rounds.

The first set of executions took place on March 11, 1976, at Bar Beach, Lagos, a location known at the time for public executions. Under the supervision of General Obasanjo’s military government, 31 individuals were executed, including senior officers, junior ranks, and one civilian. These included:

1. Major General I. D. Bisalla (former Commissioner for Defence)

2. Warrant Officer II Monday Monchon

3. Staff Sergeant Richard Dungdang

4. Sergeant Sale Pankshin

5. Lieutenant Colonel A. R. Aliyu

6. Captain M. Parvwong

7. Captain J. F. Idi

8. Captain S. Wakins

9. Lieutenant Mohammed

10. Lieutenant E. L. K. Shelleng

11. Lieutenant Colonel Ayuba Tense

12. Colonel A. D. S. Way

13. Lieutenant Colonel T. K. Adamu

14. Lieutenant Colonel A. B. Umaru

15. Captain A. A. Aliyu

16. Captain Augustine Dawurang

17. Major M. M. Mshelia

18. Lieutenant William Seri

19. Major I. B. Ribo

20. Major K. K. Gagra

21. Captain M. R. Gelip

22. Mr. Abdulkarim Zakari (a civilian who assisted in the radio broadcast)

23. Lieutenant Peter Ggani

24. Major Ola Ogunmekan

25. Lieutenant O. Zagmi

26. Lieutenant S. Wayah

27. Sergeant Ahmadu Rege

28. Sergeant Bala Javan

29. Warrant Officer II Sambo Dankshin

30. Warrant Officer II Emmanuel Dakup Seri

31. Major J. W. Kasai

A second round of executions took place between May 15 and 17, 1976, following the capture and trial of the coup leader and his key accomplices. This final round included:

32. Lieutenant Colonel Bukar Suka Dimka (leader of the coup)

33. Joseph D. Gomwalk (former Military Governor of Benue-Plateau State)

34. Lieutenant S. Kwale

35. Warrant Officer H. E. Bawa

36. Colonel I. Buka

37. Major J. K. Afolabi

38. H. Shaiyen

Dimka was captured after a nationwide manhunt and interrogation. During his trial, he remained defiant and refused to express remorse. His execution, along with the others, was carried out in secrecy, though public knowledge of it spread quickly.

These executions were meant to send a clear signal that treason and political instability would not be tolerated. While controversial, especially due to the scale and speed of the trials, the actions taken by the Obasanjo-led government reinforced military discipline and temporarily stabilized Nigeria’s political environment.

General Olusegun Obasanjo would go on to continue the reform agenda of the late Murtala Muhammed and, in 1979, became the first military leader in Nigeria to voluntarily hand over power to a democratically elected civilian government. This marked the beginning of Nigeria’s Second Republic.

The 1976 coup attempt remains one of Nigeria’s most defining political crises, remembered not only for the tragic loss of a visionary leader but also for the massive response it provoked from the military and the Nigerian public.

Columns

Tokunbo Akintola: The First Black African Student at Eton College

Published

2 weeks ago

November 23, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

In April 1964, a quiet but historic milestone was recorded in the educational and social history of both Nigeria and Britain. On the 29th of that month, the family of Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola—then Premier of the Western Region of Nigeria—stood proudly at Eton College in England as his son, Tokunbo Akintola, was formally admitted as the first Black African student in the school’s centuries-long history. At just thirteen years old, Tokunbo stepped into one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world, a boarding school that had shaped the minds of British royals, aristocrats, intellectuals, and nineteen British Prime Ministers.

The photograph taken that day captures not merely a familial moment but a symbol of cultural diplomacy and evolving global relations. The Akintola family appears in a dignified blend of traditional Nigerian attire and modest Western clothing—a visual representation of their deep Yoruba roots and their engagement with the global stage. Standing at the centre is young Tokunbo, clad in his new school uniform, poised to begin an educational journey many could only dream of. Around him, his family offers a visible aura of pride, hope, and expectation.

Chief Ladoke Akintola, Tokunbo’s father, was by then one of the most influential political figures in Nigeria. A trained lawyer, seasoned journalist, and an orator known for his eloquence, he had risen to become Premier of the Western Region during a turbulent but significant period in Nigeria’s post-independence political evolution. His son’s admission into Eton represented both personal achievement and national symbolism—proof that African families could now step confidently onto platforms historically reserved for the British elite.

Eton College itself stood as an institution of immense reputation. Founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, it had become synonymous with leadership and privilege, producing generations of statesmen, military leaders, and members of the Royal Family. For centuries, its doors had remained firmly closed to Africans. Tokunbo’s arrival in 1964 therefore marked a quiet breaking of barriers, the beginning of a new chapter in cross-cultural educational exchange.

Tokunbo remained at Eton through the late 1960s, navigating the school’s rigorous academic environment and its deeply traditional culture. Those who remember him described him as gentle, intelligent, and quietly charismatic. Yet his life, promising as it was, would be a short one. Four years after leaving Eton, in 1973, Tokunbo Akintola died tragically at a young age, cutting short what many believed could have become a remarkable legacy in law, politics, or diplomacy—fields that seemed perfectly aligned with his upbringing and the reputation of his father.

Today, Tokunbo’s story endures as part of Nigeria’s broader historical narrative. It represents the aspirations of a generation of postcolonial families who sought to blend African identity with global opportunity. It also stands as a reminder of the contributions—and sacrifices—made by those who walked early paths of representation, carrying the hopes of their families and nations with them.

Source:
Getty Images archival description; historical records on Ladoke Akintola and Eton College.