…As NUC approves institution’s undergraduate programme
Isaac Anumihe
The Federal Government has invested over N6 billion to develop infrastructure at the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State. In 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari approved an increase in the take-off grant allocated to the university from the N2 billion earlier announced to N5 billion. This sum was included in the 2018 budget presented to the National Assembly in November 2017.
Similarly, an additional N1 billion was approved by the president to support essential infrastructure works and staff recruitment in the university. This was as the first maritime institute has been granted approval by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to commence undergraduate degree programmes effective from the 2017/2018 academic session. In a statement, the office of the Vice President said that NUC approved that academic activities commence in three faculties namely, Transport, Engineering and Environmental Management. “The Faculty of Transport has four departments, namely, Nautical Science, Transport Logistics Management, Marine Economics and Finance, and Port Management.
“The Faculty of Engineering has five departments – Marine Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Petroleum and Gas Engineering, and the Faculty of Environmental Management has four departments – Environmental Management and Pollution, Meteorology and Climate Change, Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Marine Geology.
“The Maritime University will be extended all privileges accorded to other federal universities,” the statement said. Recall that the university commenced operations in 2017 and in November 2017, invited job applications for academic staff with advert placement in major national dailies.
Under the new vision for the Niger Delta, which followed the president’s meeting with leaders of Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF) in November 2016, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, was delegated to undertake a tour of the oil-producing communities and the take-off of the Maritime University was one of the major requests tabled before the Federal Government.