NIS boss expresses hope of making Nigeria manpower base
*Honours LASU Professor for outstanding feat
By Ray Ugochukwu
The President of Nigeria Institute of Shipping (NIS), Dr. Martins Emeka Enebeli, has decried the shortage of trained professionals in the country’s maritime industry to harness the potentials of the sector.
Dr. Enebeli, who spoke at the investiture of one of their own, Prof. Charles Asenime, as a fellow of the Institute, however stressed that the NIS would continue to bridge the gap by training and retraining professionals that would service the country and the African shipping sector.
“We are looking forward to a time when we will be exporting experts in shipping to other countries; this is what we are working towards. I therefore call on all practitioners in the shipping profession to get certification in shipping from the Institute.
“You can use our certificate to earn Masters Degree from LASU (Lagos State University), after which you can go ahead to obtain Ph.D. We are developing the best modern curriculum in line with the best professional practice all over the world”, he said.
Enebeli
On the award held last Thursday at the OC’s Place, Apapa, Lagos, to Prof. Asenime, he said it was in recognition of his immense contribution to the advancement of the shipping and allied industry in the country.
The NIS president noted that the Institute would continue to recognise those that were contributing to the advancement of shipping profession while urging the award recipient to continue with the good works he was doing to move the shipping profession forward.
Enebeli restated that shipping was not just about maritime or ship only, but encompassing all modes of transportation, noting that because of the nomenclature, many people restricted shipping to maritime or transportation through ship.
In his words, “People think shipping is all about ship or maritime, which is not so. Shipping is encompassing. It is all about any form of transportation. Shipping includes pipeline, aviation, road and sea transport. Any form of transportation is shipping, but because of the nomenclature, many people misconstrue it.
“If you are directly or indirectly involved in any practice revolving around transportation, then you are in into shipping and you need to join the Nigeria Institute of Shipping to gain more knowledge. There are many benefits you will also gain as a fellow of the institute”.
Award recipient, Prof. Adenine (middle) in a group photograph with NIS officials at the occasion.
Prof. Asenime is the Dean, School of Transport and Logistics, Lagos State University (LASU).
Enebeli said Prof. Asenime had built capacity in the shipping industry, noting that his effort had positioned the industry such that experts in the shipping profession could now obtain PhD.
“We don’t know before that we could obtain PhD in shipping from any Nigerian university but through the relentless effort of Prof. Asenime and few others, we can now stand tall and rub shoulders with experts in other professions”, he said.
In his acceptance speech, Prof. Asenime said the Institute’s Fellowship Award bestowed on him would spur him to do more; pointing out that NIS, as an institution, had come to stay.
In his own remark, the Registrar of the Institute, Mr. Samson Chima, explained that the outfit, which was established in 1983, came into existence with the aim of bridging the knowledge-gap in the shipping profession.
Chima added that the NIS was an academic and professional body that trained and retrained professionals in the shipping sector of the economy.
