NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES SEAFARERS'

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000463

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/RSA, INR/AA, DOC FOR ITA, DOT FOR MARAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2016
TAGS: ECON ETDR PGOV EWWT KCRM NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES SEAFARERS'
DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

REF: A. LAGOS 409

B. LAGOS 434

Classified By: Consul General Donna M. Blair, Reasons 1.4 (B,D)


1. (U) Summary: The Nigeria Maritime Administration and
Safety Agency (NIMASA) has launched an initiative to increase
the number of Nigerians engaged in maritime trades by
training 5000 Nigerians overseas and expanding domestic
training facilities. In the long term, Nigeria wants to
become a net exporter of seafarers, seeing this as a means of
easing unemployment and diversifying foreign exchange
earnings, and to expand the domestic fleet as well as
introduce a shipping registry. The Chief of Naval Staff
denies that piracy has occurred in Nigerian waters during the
last six months. Nigeria appears to underestimate the
difficulties of developing a domestic maritime industry. End
Summary.

Training Merchant Marine Officers Abroad
--------------


2. (U) On November 5, PolOff met with the Director General of
the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency
(NIMASA),Dr. Ade Dosunmu, to discuss the "Nigerian
Seafarers' Development Program" launched to increase the
number of Nigerians engaged in maritime trades. Dosunmu
explained that in the short term, the program seeks to train
1,000 Nigerians per year for the next five years using
existing training facilities for merchant navy officers
around the world. Mid-term, Nigeria wishes to open three new
maritime academies to supplement the existing academy at Oron
and to improve facilities at Oron in order to provide a
steady flow of qualified mariners in the future. According to
Dosunmu, in the long term Nigeria aims to become a net
exporter of trained seamen to the international shipping
industry similar to the Philippines, while at the same time
expanding its national fleet and developing a ship registry
similar to Liberia's.


3. (U) According to Dosunmu, the Federal Government has
allocated a budget for the training of 5,000 Nigerian
merchant navy officers over the next five years of USD 10,000
per student, which represents 60 percent of the estimated
costs of training. The state governments are being asked to
supply the remaining 40 percent for each candidate from their
state. Candidates are being recruited nationwide with careful
reference to the "Federal Principal." (Note: this means that
each state will have an equal contingent of candidates and
poorer qualified candidates from a state which has not filled
its quota will be preferred to better qualified candidates
from states where qualified candidates exceed the quota. Only
if the states pay extra, will they be able to exceed their
quote of cadets. End note.) To date, Nigeria has only had
contact with Malaysia and Vietnam about training, but Dosunmu
said NIMASA would welcome the opportunity to send cadets to
U.S. maritime academies.

Expanding Domestic Training Capacity
--------------

4.(U) During these next five years, Nigeria plans to build up
domestic training capacity by opening three new maritime
academies at Badagry, Lagos State, Lakoja, Kogi State, and
Oguta, Imo State, according to Dosunmu. (Note: two of these
locations are land-locked. End note.) Dosunmu said his
administration is also looking into the possibility of
acquiring a single training ship for use by all four schools.
He admitted that the staff for the academies will have to be
recruited internationally, but he expressed the hope that
much of the infrastructure needed such as specialized
training equipment can be shared between the academies.

Exporter of Seafarers to International Shipping Industry
-------------- --------------


5. (U) In the long term, Dosunmu expects Nigeria to become an
exporter of qualified seafarers to the international shipping
industry which is facing a serious and increasing deficit of
personnel as the merchant fleet expands and existing crew age
and retire. (Note: the United Nations Conference on Trade

LAGOS 00000463 002 OF 002


and Development (UNCTAD) reported recently that the merchant
fleet increased by 7 percent this year and 10,053 ships are
currently on order. End note.) Dosunmu, pointing to the
example of the Philippines, estimated that maritime trades
could account for 150,000 new jobs, and generate significant
foreign exchange earnings.

Chief of Naval Staff Denies Piracy in Nigerian Waters
-------------- --------------


6. (C) In response to a comment by PolOff that recent
incidents of piracy detracted from Nigeria's maritime image,
Dosunmu put a call through directly to the Chief of Naval
Staff and asked him to speak to PolOff. The Chief of Naval
Staff categorically denied that there had been any incident
of piracy in Nigerian waters in the past six months. (Note:
this contradicts information received from a variety of other
sources (see Refels 409, 434) and international press
reports. End note.)


7. (C) Comment: While the Nigerian goals are laudable given
the very real worldwide shortage of qualified seafarers,
Nigeria appears to underestimate the difficulties of
developing a domestic maritime industry. The only existing
maritime academy, which PolOff visited in August, does not
have a dedicated training ship and all graduates leave the
academy without ever having set foot aboard a vessel.
Furthermore, staff qualifications and training facilities do
not meet the standards required for graduates to obtain
international recognition. Plans to locate two new maritime
academies at land-locked locations suggests that the
Nigerians underestimate the importance of experience at sea
in obtaining internationally recognized qualifications for
the graduates of their training institutions, and the
difficulties in hiring qualified staff with maritime
experience for onshore training as well. End comment.
BLAIR