Blue Economy: MAN Oron aligns stakeholders for community-led growth

The Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, has unveiled community-focused investments, policy alignment efforts, and stakeholder partnerships aimed at deepening industry capacity and local economic integration.

At its First Quarter 2026 Citizens and Stakeholders’ Engagement in Oron, the Academy positioned community collaboration, infrastructure development, and private sector alignment as critical levers for translating national blue economy policies into measurable economic outcomes.

The engagement, with the theme “Leveraging Community Partnership for Effective Implementation of the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy,” brought together regulators, industry leaders, and host community representatives, highlighting a coordinated push to align maritime training, grassroots development, and investment flows.

Welcoming stakeholders, the Acting Rector, Dr. Kevin Okonna, described the quarterly engagement framework as a performance-driven mechanism for bridging policy and execution.

“It is pertinent to remind us that the purpose of the quarterly Citizens/Stakeholders’ engagement meeting is to inform the citizens and stakeholders of government’s policies, programmes and projects, obtain the citizens’ buy-in and partnership in the development and implementation of the policies, programmes and projects,” he said.

He noted that sustained stakeholder engagement has begun to yield tangible workforce outcomes, particularly in bridging the industry’s long-standing sea-time training gap.

“The engagement emphasised the need for public-private sector collaboration. The result of that engagement was swift and remarkable as 80 of the 221 graduating cadets were given either automatic employment or seatime training opportunities during the 2025 Cadets graduation ceremony,” Okonna stated.

Building on that momentum, the Academy, he noted, has secured a structured training pipeline through a three-year Memorandum of Agreement with NLNG Shipping and Marine Services Limited, facilitating onboard placement for cadets.

“A total of 43 Cadets from the Academy have been placed onboard NLNG ships for their STCW Mandatory One-year Seatime experience between December 2025 and February 2026,” he added.

Okonna further attributed the institution’s operational stability to strong backing from host stakeholders, noting that support from Akwa Ibom State, Oron Local Government, and the Eyo-Abasi community has been instrumental, with the Academy reciprocating through local economic contributions such as outsourced security and environmental services.

He, however, flagged infrastructure constraints, explaining that despite heavy investment in rehabilitating the Eket–Oron power supply line, “PHED-reported nationally influenced electricity challenges have hindered the derivation of the full benefit of this investment.”

In his remarks, Governing Council Chairman, Kehinde Olayinka Akinola, underscored the policy significance of stakeholder engagement within the Federal Government’s inclusiveness agenda under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“We gather here in compliance with the Federal Government of Nigeria’s directive to hold Citizens and Stakeholders Engagement to communicate Government activities to the citizens as a way of inclusiveness in governance,” he said.

Akinola reaffirmed the Academy’s global standing, anchored on compliance with International Maritime Organization standards, particularly the STCW Convention.

“The graduates of the Academy are sought after by the industry because of the standard. In 2025 graduation ceremony, about 80 cadets got instant employment opportunity as a result of the confidence which the industry has for the products of the Academy,” he stated.

He also cautioned against proposals to convert the specialised institution into a conventional university, warning that such a move could dilute its core mandate.

“Converting the Academy to a University would undoubtedly bring changes, but we must consider whether this shift would enhance or dilute our focus. Our strength lies in our specialised programmes, industry connections, global recognition and hand-on-training.

“Let’s retain the essence of what makes our Maritime Academy exceptional. By doing so, we’ll continue to produce skilled professionals, drive economic growth, and foster meaningful partnership,” Akinola said.

From an industry standpoint, Director General of the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, Vivian Chimezie-Azubuike, reframed community integration as a core economic strategy.

“Formalising these partnerships is not just a social duty; it is a strategic economic necessity,” she said, noting that informal maritime activities such as artisanal fishing and local logistics underpin sector resilience.

She called for a shift in investor perception toward coastal communities.

“We must move beyond seeing these areas as mere ‘host communities’ and start viewing them as ‘investment hubs,’” she said, adding that targeted investments in infrastructure, cold chain systems and sustainable aquaculture would unlock sector-wide value.

Chimezie-Azubuike described the Academy’s newly commissioned projects as “the ‘infrastructure of dignity’, providing the tools for local traders to thrive and ensure clean energy and water for the community.”

On the community front, Chairman of the Host Community Relations Committee, Okokon Paul Eyo, acknowledged the Academy’s interventions but pressed for deeper institutional frameworks.

“We humbly and respectfully appeal to formalise a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Host Community and the Academy. This is not a mere formality, but a crucial step towards building a lasting and mutually beneficial relationship,” he said.

Eyo also highlighted employment concerns, noting limited representation of indigenes within the institution.

“We plead the Chairman and Rector to consider employing qualified community members. This will also demonstrate the academy’s commitment to developing the local human capital and contributing to the community’s socio-economic growth,” he added, while also requesting welfare support for the committee and reminding management of an outstanding bus pledge.

Traditional leadership reinforced the development impact, with the Paramount Ruler of Oron, Offong Odiong Akan, commending the Academy’s targeted interventions.

“The construction of a modern market in EyoAbasi Community will significantly enhance local commerce, create economic opportunities, and improve the livelihoods of our people,” he said.

He added that the solar-powered borehole would “provide access to clean and safe drinking water,” while solar installations at the palace promote sustainable energy adoption.

At the centre of the engagement was the commissioning of three CSR projects under the Academy’s 2025 appropriation: seven lock-up shops and 19 open stalls in Eyo-Abasi, a 600-litre solar-powered borehole in Udung Okung, and a 10KVA solar installation at the palace of the Paramount Ruler.

Collectively, stakeholders agreed that aligning maritime training, private capital, and community development frameworks remains critical to unlocking Nigeria’s marine and blue economy potential, with the Maritime Academy emerging as a central platform for executing that strategy.