Why FG drags feet in upgrading Maritime Academy of Nigeria to university despite 2022 presidential assent
By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
Morale among workers at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, the nation’s premier maritime institute, has reportedly plummeted. Many employees claim they have endured over a decade with only a single promotion, despite working for the institution for more than ten years. The last promotion exercise took place in 2021, an interval far exceeding the stipulated timeline.
The situation is reportedly worse for principal officers, many of whom have been in acting capacities for about ten years. This includes key officials such as Registrar, Bursar, Librarian, many directors, and several Heads of Departments. Even the current Rector, Dr. Kelvin Okonna, has been in an acting role for eight months, exceeding the non-renewable six-month limit permitted by civil service rules.
This career gridlock is plaguing the institution, significantly harming staff welfare and morale. The problem, however, is beyond what an individual alone could resolve. At its root is a fundamental question of identity: Is MAN Oron a university or a specialised training institution? A university would report to the Ministry of Education, while its current status as a monotechnic, providing technical training for seafarers, marine engineers, and navigators, keeps it within the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy. According to a reliable source in the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy who spoke with TheNiche, this protracted uncertainty is preventing crucial steps to resolve the staff’s difficulties.
The conundrum
In 2021, the Oron community celebrated a milestone when both chambers of the National Assembly passed a bill seeking to upgrade the MAN, the only federal government institution in their community, to a university, a battle won after almost 40 years of agitation.
READ ALSO: Maritime Academy becomes University of Maritime Studies
The Senate at the time said that the upgrade of MAN Oron to University of Maritime Studies Oron (UMSO) would help Nigeria achieve the prerequisites of the International Maritime Organisation convention on standards of training, certification and watch-keeping for seafarers.
The Act was later published on May 15th, 2023, in the Federal Government of Nigeria Official Gazette on pages B427-457.
But while the celebration was still ongoing about the feat in the Oron community for having a university and its attendant benefits to the local economy, professionals in the maritime industry swiftly alerted the federal government of the implications of converting MAN Oron to a university.
The Alumni of MAN Oron, in an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, signed by Emmanuel Maiguwa, its president, said Nigeria would lose international accreditation with the conversion, among many other advantages in the maritime industry.
The letter read in part, “Maritime training institutions must conform to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulations, particularly the standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Convention. A shift from its specialised framework could lead to a loss of certification and recognition.”
The experts also say maritime education demands specialised facilities, simulators, and expertise, arguing that converting MAN Oron to a university may undermine the quality of training and safety outcomes.
Other challenges include: Nigerian cadets would be disadvantaged in the global maritime labour market due to the weakening focus of their training, and national security risk.
The experts pleaded with the president to preserve the specialised structure of MAN Oron and retain it in the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to continue providing training that aligns with sectoral needs, policy direction and maritime strategy.
After consultations with other experts in the maritime industry, the federal government decided to revert the institution to its original status, which is monotechnic, TheNiche was informed, but it has to go through certain legislative processes.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who is from Akwa Ibom State, is said to align with the decision of the federal government. But fearing the political consequences, Akpabio and his colleagues from Akwa Ibom State who are in the National Assembly have remained quiet on the subject.
But the Oro Youth Movement, an association comprising indigenes of Oron community, have been vocal against the planned return of MAN Oron to a monotechnic.
In a communique after a meeting held on July 2nd, 2025, the youths issued threats of political consequences to their representatives in the National Assembly if they fail to stop the reversal.
Meanwhile, the senator representing Lagos Central, Senator Wasiu Eshilokun, who is also the Senate Committee chairman on Marine Transport, has sponsored a bill to repeal the University of Maritime Studies Oron Establishment Act. The Bill has already scaled second reading.
While the issues are still hanging, MAN Oron employees are at the receiving end of the stalemate. They say that despite their critical role in training shipboard officers, ratings, and shore-based management personnel for Nigeria’s maritime economy, they are among the lowest-paid compared to their counterparts in sister agencies under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy. These include the Nigeria Maritime and Safety Administration Agency (NIMASA), the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), the Nigeria Inland Waterways Agency (NIWA), and the Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC).
The workers had hoped for an improvement in their welfare when Commodore Duja Effedua (Rtd) unexpectedly resigned as Rector in November 2024, a year ahead of schedule. However, their optimism has reportedly waned as Dr. Kelvin Okonna, an internal staff member who assumed the acting rectorship eight months ago, has allegedly done little to address their grievances.
“Technically, that place is a university. So, if it’s a university, it should not have a rector, but a vice chancellor. Until all these hanging issues are resolved, it will be difficult to take any action to address these concerns,” the source in the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy explained.
Attempts to get Dr. Okonna’s comments on the situation were unsuccessful; he insisted on a face-to-face meeting rather than responding to questions sent via WhatsApp and SMS.
