Kehinde Akinola, the governing council chairman, Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron
The Governing Council of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, has rejected the plan to convert the institution into a university.
According to the council, the conversion will weaken the academy’s specialised maritime capabilities built over the years.
Kehinde Akinola, the governing council chairman, said the academy’s specialisation is core to the federal government’s marine and blue economy agenda.
In addition, he stressed that turning the academy into a university will reduce the effectiveness of its cadet training system and threaten long-standing international collaborations.
He stated that the conversion can also hinder its access to the statutory 5% allocation from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
“This would create serious operational challenges for an institution that relies heavily on these funds to maintain its extensive training facilities and infrastructure,” he said.
