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NSML bemoans global shortage of competent seafarers

NSML bemoans global shortage of competent seafarers
Anozie Egole 10 April 2022 https://punchng.com/nsml-bemoans-global-shortage-of-competent-seafarers/

The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Ship Management Limited has lamented a global shortfall of skilled officers in the maritime industry.

Addressing journalists in Lagos, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, NSML, Abddulkadir Ahmed, said that there was an increasing demand for qualified seafarers, particularly officers.

He noted that the situation was expected to persist into the future, blaming diminishing attractiveness of careers at sea as the reason.

“There is a global shortage of skilled officers in the maritime industry. Industry sources point to an increasing demand for qualified seafarers, particularly the officers, and this situation is expected to persist into the future. Diminishing attractiveness of a career at sea, coupled with rising man-berth ratios and a continued fleet growth is likely to result in the highest shortfall of officers in the coming years”.

Speaking further, he said that lately, the focus of maritime regulators had shifted to the Green House Gas reduction, noting that the changes would account for 90 per cent global trade.

“The global maritime industry continues to be shaped by stringent environmental regulations and requirements. Lately, the focus of maritime regulators has shifted firmly to GHG emissions from international shipping. De-carbonization is also a key focus of regulators in the maritime industry and there are rafts of changes being considered in the industry that is reputed to account for over 90% of global trade.”

“The landscape of the maritime industry is shifting with the rising trends in technology. Industry sources posit that the trends are emerging out of necessity. Advances in shipbuilding, propulsion, smart shipping, advanced materials, big data and analytics, robotics, sensors, artificial intelligence, and communications are all impacting the maritime industry,” he said.

He also lauded the management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency for the Deep Blue Initiative, stressing that it had helped in the reduction of pirate attacks on the Gulf of Guinea.

“Piracy in the GoG remains a worrying concern in the global maritime industry as incidents and attacks have soared in the last decade. According to the International Maritime Bureau, GoG continues to be the hotspot for piracy attacks with 43% of all regional attacks in 2021. Pirates operating in the region are well equipped to attack further away from shorelines and are unafraid to take violent actions against innocent crews. Though these security challenges persist, the recently launched ‘Deep Blue Initiative’ by NIMASA has significantly reduced the impact and frequency of these piracy incidents,” he concluded.