The Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) is partnering with the Liberia Maritime Authority and Liberia Maritime Training Institute to strengthen maritime education, skills development and Africa’s blue economy.
The partnership was announced by the Board Chairman of the Liberian Maritime Authority, Mr Tornorlah Varpilah, during a reciprocal visit to MAN in Oron on Tuesday.
Varpilah said the visit was aimed at exchanging knowledge and expertise to advance maritime education and the development of Africa’s blue economy. He noted that Nigeria has the resources and investment capacity needed to drive sustainable growth in the maritime sector.
He also commended the Federal Government for its investment in maritime infrastructure, describing the facilities at MAN as evidence of the country’s potential to develop the manpower required for the African blue economy.
According to him, stronger cooperation between Nigeria and Liberia would help both countries address challenges confronting Africa’s maritime sector.
“We are here to promote the African region. Nigeria is rich, they have enough capital for investment. We are committed to this partnership,” he said.
The Board Chairman of MAN, Mr Kehinde Akinola, said the partnership followed a visit by the Nigerian delegation to Liberia in 2025 and would deepen institutional cooperation between the two countries.
He said Nigeria and Liberia share a maritime heritage and a common interest in building a safe, secure and prosperous maritime sector in the Gulf of Guinea.
Acting Rector of MAN, Dr Kevin Okonna, identified cadet training, exchange of academic programmes, lecturer exchanges and deployment of trained cadets as key areas of the partnership.
He said the collaboration would also promote the exchange of blue economy expertise and recognition of seafarers’ certifications.
According to Okonna, the partnership could enable Liberian seafarers to receive training in Nigeria while Nigerian cadets could train or work aboard Liberian-flagged vessels.
He added that MAN’s programmes have been approved in line with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW).
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