At the Nigerian Navy Underwater Warfare School in Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos State, twenty young Nigerians supported by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, recently graduated.
The NCDMB concluded a five-month commercial air diving training program for the trainees who were certified as Class-I and Class-II divers, according to reports obtained by SAREWAHAUSA in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy and Mieka diving Training Institute, MDTI.
Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote stated that the rapid growth of the Nigerian offshore industry, which includes increased oilfield development in the deep offshore basin, has required intensive training for key positions.
Wabote said that certain training programs are already in operation, with others on the way. He also noted that foreigners hold most of the top positions in Nigeria’s professional diving business.
He said that the matter would be addressed through the training program.
Wabote emphasized the Board’s mandate to increase the proportion of Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry and its linkage sectors in a statement issued to DAILY POST via the NCDMB’s cooperate communications office, stressing the importance of human capital development in regions with shortages of skilled and qualified workers.
Wabote thanked the Nigerian Navy and the Mieka Dive Institute for their tireless efforts in making the program a resounding success without a single accident.
He elaborated on the relevance of the training by saying that the trainees had become assets in keeping with the Board’s strategic objective of creating a pool of certified Class-I and Class-II divers.
The future is bright for those who are ready to put in the effort, he told the trainees, so they should keep learning and upgrading their skills and certifications to keep up with the needs of the global economy.
The Special Guest of Honor, Rear Admiral Patrick Nwatu, Flag Officer Commanding, FOC, Naval Training Command, Lagos, was represented by the Commandant of NNS Quorra, Cmdr. Adamu Yahaya, who expressed gratitude to the consultants and trainees for their hard work in completing the extensive study and rigorous diving training necessary to become professional air divers.
Nwatu applauded the graduates and urged them to continue to uphold the ideals of discipline, hard work, commitment, and excellence in all that they do.
Since its start in 2011, he said, the Nigerian Navy has educated its personnel at the Underwater Warfare School through a joint venture agreement with Mieka Dive Limited to perform commercial air diving instruction.
In announcing the graduation of the fourth class of air divers to be trained at the facility, the FOC lauded the Chief of Naval Staff for his “visionary and unflinching support” of the institution, thanked the NCDMB for its “commitment” in sponsoring the training, and vowed to continue providing the Navy with the resources necessary to run the programs.
As the graduates began their careers as commercial divers, Commander Adewuyi prayed for their success and urged them to be excellent representatives of the school.
William Godsgift was named Best Student in Practicals, and Animiuworio Direla was named Best Behaved Student during the awards ceremony.
Best Student went to Edemu Anthonia, but yet fell short of Aladdin John, who averaged 85.6% across the board.
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