NIMASA pledges support for FUPRE

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has promised to support the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE) to achieve its mandate of training high-level manpower for the oil and gas sector, as well as allied sectors of the economy, including maritime.

The NIMASA Director-General, Dr. Peterside Dakuku, who gave the assurance when he received the school’s management on a courtesy visit, led by its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Akii Ibhadode, stressed the need to improve quality service delivery, and promote best practices in the sector.

He stressed that the oil and gas and the maritime sectors can best work in a synergy requiring quality manpower, which FUPRE is providing as part of its mandate, while NIMASA would continue to perform its monitoring and regulatory functions to ensure smooth operations in both sectors.

Peterside said that though the agency may not run training centres as a regulatory agency, it would, within its powers, support FUPRE’s vision and ensure accreditation and certification of the Centre for Maritime and Off-Shore Studies (CMOS), which he noted as another first in the country.

Speaking earlier, Prof. Ibhadode said that in line with the institution’s vision to produce high-level manpower, the management is poised to place it among the world’s 500 best in the next five years, through some deliberate steps, including establishing such centres as CMOS and Centre for Safety Education.

To that end, he solicited NIMASA’s support through the appointment of a representative to the Board of CMOS, collaborations in areas of training and certification, provision of facilities and other forms of assistance that would improve the quality of teaching and learning in the university.