OKERENKOKO, DELTA– Marking precisely one year considering that presuming office, the Vice-Chancellor of the Nigeria Maritime University (NMU), Teacher Plants Tobolayefa Oluwafemi, has unveiled a thorough account of her stewardship, detailing a sweeping wave of scholastic, digital, and infrastructural transformations.
With lean financing, the university administration over the previous 12 months worked carefully with essential stakeholders to address ingrained operational traffic jams and move the institution towards global competitiveness in specialised maritime education.
According to the official scorecard, a copy of which was detailed in the university file “VC New-One Year Scorecard”, the university has actually restored total academic stability.
By following its approved calendar and avoiding lecture interruptions, NMU broadened its institutional footprint after the National Universities Commission (NUC) completed the resource verification for its new Faculty of Science and Postgraduate School.
Doubling Power Generation and Deploying Satellite Interventions
A major highlight of Teacher Oluwafemi’s very first year is the aggressive dealing with of the university’s historical energy and technological deficits.
Operating totally off the nationwide electricity grid due to its riverine topography, NMU’s power schedule was previously restricted to simply 3 hours daily, an operational crisis the administration resolved by overhauling the main power unit and deploying solar interventions to double everyday electrical energy output to in between 6 and eight hours.
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Technological capabilities got a similar increase with the setup of high-speed Starlink satellite internet terminals at the administrative block, the launch of solar-powered CCTV cameras at the Warri jetty to keep an eye on vital maritime traffic, and the production of an official Institutional Repository to maximise worldwide research presence.
Furthermore, over 700 personnel and trainees were trained on sophisticated research performance and expert system tools, backed by a fresh institutional subscription to the premium EBSCOHOST database.
Updating Campus Logistics and Seafarer Well-being
The scorecard emphasises a deep commitment to student welfare and maritime transit logistics.
NMU successfully renovated its trainee hostels, upgrading pipes arrays, electrical systems, and ending up works– while distributing 400 brand-new bed mattress and commissioning a 500-seater lecture hall furnishings set.
For important field logistics, the management supervised the complete repair of the official Vice-Chancellor and primary officers’ speedboats to ensure safe maritime transit across the delta, alongside a 10 million mechanical repair of the university bus.
Student excellence was also on display screen globally, with 9 graduates recently got in the elite Chevron-Stoilic seafarers program and another 9 winning the prominent NLNG-NSML Scholarship.
Strengthening Strategic Alliances for the Blue Economy
These rapid advancements were made possible through fortified collaborations with neighborhood leaders, business entities, and federal government bodies.
Proactive management follow-ups in Abuja successfully protected the release and payment of long-delayed Made Academic Allowances (EAA) for university personnel, instantly increasing workers’ morale.
Furthermore, tactical alliances are being finalised with the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MALE), Oron, for specialised Certificate of Proficiency (CoC) training.
Concurrently, top-level talks have actually been accepted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to enhance NMU’s petition concerning unremitted 5% Cabotage fees from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Firm (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Looking forward, Teacher Oluwafemi revealed deep thankfulness to the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Mr Abdullahi Bardi, noting that as the university breaks ground on freshly secured TETFund tasks for a modern ICT and Conference Centre, continual federal government support remains important to anchoring Nigeria’s blue economy.