Marine surveyors bridge skills gap, graduate 50 professionals

THECenter for Marine Surveyors in Nigeria has commenced moves to bridge the gap currently being experienced in the marine surveying sub- sector of the nation’s maritime industry, as it graduates its first set of 50 students.

The Center’s president, Akin Olaniyan, said the decision to grow a younger generation of marine surveyors was borne out of the fact that the country does not lose out on the lucrative jobs and businesses in the sector to foreigners, adding that there were not enough surveyors in the industry presently.

Olaniyan also said that without the requisite training in the marine survey, one couldn’t have a good understanding of the industry and how to key into it and partake in the businesses therein.

He explained that the total number of marine surveyors in the country is a handful and that the sector is a small community where everyone knows each other as most of the hands got trained informally.

“Becoming a marine surveyor is not a one time training, it comes with years of experience as without training, you cannot understand your potential. Having this academic training is not enough; many of us got training informally through experience. So because of this, we came together where we can have an avenue to train the next generation of people and having this is not enough to make you a surveyor, the training will give the springboard to gather the needed experience.

“We have trained over 50 people and these people can spread the gospel of surveying, we can never have enough marine surveyors in Nigeria,” he said.

Speaking in a similar vein, the Director of Programmes at the Center, Tayo Ojutalayo, said the new generation of marine surveyors can compete globally through the training they have received, as both old and new members are internationally certified.

Ojulatayo also said that the training for the next set of marine surveyors has commenced, adding that in two months, the new intakes will start their training.