President Goodluck Jonathan performed the groundbreaking of the Nigeria Maritime University and the NIMASA Shipyard and Dockyard in Delta State recently, which are two gigantic projects expected to revolutionise the nation's maritime industry. The coming of the projects to this area hitherto a hotbed of violence sparked by under-development, signals an end to militancy if completed and fully operational, due to its potential to create thousands of employment opportunities,
Correspondent, ANDREW AIRAHUOBHOR reports.
The Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) made history on Saturday, May 10, when President Goodluck Jonathan performed the groundbreaking of the NIMASA Shipyard, Dockyard and the permanent site of Nigeria Maritime University at Okerenkoko, as well as flagged off the temporary site at Kurutie, both in Warri Southwest Local Government Area of Delta State.
These projects have a three-pronged impact on the nation's economy.
Apart from helping to build capacity in the Nigerian maritime industry currently dominated by foreigners, they will also provide employment for the teeming youths, thereby significantly curbing restiveness in the region.
The projects have also elevated the host communities from a hotbed of militancy to a famous academic destination.
The Agency is building the first maritime university in Okerenkoko, as well as a shipyard and a dockyard in Delta State, with potentials to revolutionise Nigeria's human and technical capacity in the maritime industry, where indigenous participation is abysmally low, a situation that gave room for almost 80 per cent domination of the industry by foreigners, according to 2010 statistics.
Bringing such gigantic projects to this part of Warri Southwest local government area prior to the commencement of amnesty programme in 2007, would have been an impossible task. Peace was elusive as the area descended into an enclave of violence.
"I was here in 2007 as vice president, where nobody smiled, nobody drank water because of so many crises, luckily, following government programmes as regards amnesty, we are smiling and drinking now. That tells us clearly that without peace there will not be development anywhere in the world," said President Goodluck Jonathan at the reception organised for him in Oporoza community for the groundbreaking ceremony.