The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, has tasked graduating cadets of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) to embrace technologies, and uphold the highest standards of professional conduct in outside world.
Oyetola said this in his remarks at the 2026 Passing Out Parade and graduation ceremony of the Academy in Oron on Thursday.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Fatima Mahmood, Oyetola tasked the cadets to exhibit competence, discipline and integrity to excel in their chosen endeavours.
The minister urged the graduating cadets to be good ambassadors of themselves, their parents, the academy and country.
“To our newly graduated cadets: today marks the beginning of a new and demanding phase of your life.
“The maritime profession offers tremendous opportunities for enterprise and career growth, but it also demands discipline, integrity, resilience, technical competence, and unwavering commitment to safety.
“Wherever your career takes you, whether aboard Nigerian vessels or international fleets, remember that you represent not only yourself and your families, but this Academy, as well as the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Oyetola said.
The minister reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to support the Academy in fulfilling its specialised mandate and in strengthening maritime capacity development in the country.
He added that the ultimate objective of maritime education was not to produce graduates, but to develop a competent professional, who could find meaningful employment, compete internationally and contribute to the growth of the marine economy.
In his remarks, Gov Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom urged the cadets to uphold integrity, discipline and professionalism in their careers.
Eno, represented by the Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Anthony Luke, said the state government was investing in maritime infrastructure to develop the maritime sector.
He congratulated the graduates and urged them to join hands with the state to deepen the expansion and growth of the maritime industry.
The governor said that to strengthen the sector, the government had established shoreline protection, terminal buildings, passenger ferry services, cold-storage warehouses for fishermen and passenger jetties.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Acting Rector of the Academy, Dr Kevin Okonna, said that the graduating cadets had received quality education and training that would enable them to compete internationally.
Okonna said the graduating cadets had been tested by early morning drills, regimental parades and demanding practical exercises that would make them survive anywhere.
He disclosed that more than 50 cadets had secured placements aboard international trading vessels since the November 2025 graduation ceremony, including the 43 cadets undergoing training on NLNG ships.
He added that out of the 314 graduating cadets in 2026, 51 cadets had secured automatic training aboard international vessels immediately.
The acting Rector added that the Academy had secured a partnership with the International Maritime Organisation and the World Maritime University to serve as the focal institution for the Future Ready Shipping project in Africa.
“Today, the Academy is also ready to launch its transition from manual and paper-based administrative workflow to a more efficient, transparent and secure environment through its Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) operations,” Okonna said.
Our Correspondent reports that the highlight of the graduating ceremony was the award of excellence certificates to deserving cadets who had excelled in character and learning.
