THE Centre for Marine Surveyors in Nigeria has commenced moves to bridge the gap currently being experienced in the marine surveying sub-sector of the Nigerian maritime industry as it graduated its first set of 50 students.
Disclosing this to newsmen in Lagos recently, President of the Centre, Mr Akin Olaniyan said that the decision to grow a younger generation of marine surveyors was borne out of the fact that Nigeria does not lose out of the lucrative jobs and businesses in the sector to foreigner, adding that there are not enough surveyors in the industry presently.
Olaniyan also said that without the requisite training in marine survey, one cannot have a good understanding of the industry and how one can key into it and partake in the businesses therein.
He explained that the total number of marine surveyors in Nigeria is a handful and that the sector is a small community where everyone knows one other as most of the hands got trained informally.
He said: “Becoming a marine surveyor is a one-time training, it comes with years of experience, without training, you cannot understand your potential. Having this academic training is not enough, many of us got training informally through experience and through those of us that are Classification Societies.
“So because of this we came together where we can have an avenue to train the next generation of people and having this is not enough to make you a surveyor, the training will give the spring board to gather the experience.
“We have trained over 50 people and these people can spread the gospel according to surveying, we can never have enough marine surveyors in Nigeria, like we can never have enough of other professionals. You see, being educated or being knowledgeable or being trained in any profession like marine surveying does not limit you.”
Speaking in similar vein, Director of Programmes at the Center, Captain Fola Ojutalayo said that the new generation of marine surveyors in Nigeria can compete globally by virtue of the training they have received as they both old and new members are internationally certified.
Ojulatayo also said that the training for the next set of marine surveyors have commenced adding that in the two months, new intakes will return to the classrooms.
