The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, has urged graduating cadets of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria to embrace technology and uphold high standards of professional conduct to excel in their careers.
Oyetola made the call at the academy’s 2026 Passing Out Parade (POP) and graduation ceremony held in Oron on Thursday.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs Fatima Mahmood, the minister urged the cadets to demonstrate competence, discipline and integrity in their chosen careers.
He also encouraged them to be good ambassadors of themselves, their families, the academy and the 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 supporting the academy in fulfilling its specialised mandate and strengthening maritime capacity development in the country.
He said the ultimate objective of maritime education was not merely to produce graduates but to develop competent professionals capable of securing meaningful employment, competing internationally and contributing to the growth of the marine economy.
Also speaking, 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 sector.
He congratulated the graduates and urged them to partner with the state government in expanding and growing the maritime industry.
The governor said the government had established shoreline protection facilities, terminal buildings, passenger ferry services, cold-storage warehouses for fishermen and passenger jetties to strengthen the sector.
Earlier, the Acting Rector of the academy, Dr Kevin Okonna, said the graduating cadets had received quality education and training to enable them to compete internationally.
Okonna said the cadets had undergone early morning drills, regimental parades and demanding practical exercises designed to prepare them for the challenges of the profession.
He disclosed that more than 50 cadets had secured placements aboard internationally trading vessels since the November 2025 graduation ceremony, including 43 cadets undergoing training on NLNG ships.
He added that 51 of the 314 cadets graduating in 2026 had already secured placements aboard internationally trading vessels.
The acting rector also said 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 inaugurate 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.
The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of excellence awards to cadets who distinguished themselves in character and academic performance.
