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DE RUEHOS #0463/01 3260719
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R 210719Z NOV 08
FM AMCONSUL LAGOS
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INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 9952
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH AFB UK
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
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RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEWMFD/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

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