NIWA, Lufredha Academy conclude workshop in Delta, others

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) in collaboration with one of its leading consultant, Lufredha Maritime Academy, has concluded a three-day training workshop for boat operators at various designated centres across the geo-political zones.

The intensive training workshop sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy at NIWA Warri premises from Monday, December 22 to Thursday, December 24 attracted participants drawn from Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers Cross River and Akwa Ibom States.

While the first and second day of the training was channeled on theoretical training, the last day witnessed practical and fitness activities which included firefighting drills, Marine operations, sea trials, Ropes tying, practical application of rules of the road among others.

The training workshop was climaxed with the issuance of certificates to the participants who passed all the stages of the rigorous exercise and met all the specified requirements needed as prerequisite for certification as a tested and trusted boat drivers and skippers.

Managing Director of Lufredha Maritime Academy, Engr. Rosemary Tonlagha, emphasised the importance of training and re-training of boat operators as panacea to minimising the rates of boat mishaps on the nation’s waterways to guarantee the safety of lives and property e within the maritime space.

She applauded the management of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and that of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), for the approval and sponsorship of this year’s workshop, noting that its only through such a sustainable training program can the issue of increasing boat accidents be reduced.

According to her: “The training that is ongoing is actually on safety of boat operators and how boat operators are supposed to be trained and licensed, basically to ensure that the level of mishap that has been in water should be brought to minimal or to zero level that’s the major one we are trying to achieve.

“They say faith comes by hearing and hearing the word. So the more you hear the more it gets to you, so that’s the reason why the ministry of Blue Economy Transport and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), collaborated together to see how this can be achieved.

“The essence is to ensure that boat operators are actually being trained not just here in Warri as a major central place, we equally have people from Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom and Calabar are all centered here for the training to ensure that all the boat operators are trained and equipped for this engagement.

“The truth is that we all look at the safety of the roads and pay less attention to the operators on the water, so that’s the reason why this training is coming up to see how enforcement can be achieved, how people can be monitored properly to ensure that mishaps reduce, lives are saved because both on the land and in the waters there are people that ply these means of transportation.

“So we are trying to see that after these people are well trained, license will be given to them and they will be knowledgeable enough. They will be equipped with enough knowledge that will help them to carry out their job functions and as such reducing the risk commonly associated with avoidable mishaps on the nation’s waterways.

“Majorly, we want to appreciate the Minister of Blue Economy and Transportation for this initiative to sponsor these people, because It is actually a big one. It is something that many of them have been striving to get themselves trained.

“So we would like to really say a big thank you to him for this great job that he has done and also the Managing Director of the National inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) for his efforts and support that have been impactful.

Advertisement

“We also want to appreciate the General Manager, Marine Department of NIWA. It has been great work with him and we want to really appreciate him for his commitment to this training.

The Area Manager, NIWA Warri office, Engr. Rufus Oladimeji, also commended Minister of Blue Economy and Transportation and the Managing Director of NIWA, for their commitment in ensuring that this year’s training workshop was a huge success across the country.

He was particularly grateful that the training of boat operators in the country which had become an annual event was a huge success this year and expressed optimism that subsequent years would be better and they hope to consolidate on the progress and impacts so far made.

Participants at the workshop including High Chief Steady Olomi from Bayelsa, Bronson Enos from Akwa-Ibom and Captain Eweye Kingsley, a Marine Instructor, expressed satisfaction with the training program and hope to advantage of what they have learnt to practice whenever they are behind the wheel on any boat journey.