The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has tasked graduating cadets of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria to embrace technology and uphold the highest standards of professional conduct to excel.

Mr Oyetola said this in his remarks at the 2026 passing-out parade and graduating ceremony at the academy in Oron on Thursday.

Mr Oyetola urged the cadets to exhibit competence, discipline and integrity to excel in their chosen endeavours. The minister urged the graduating cadets to be good ambassadors for themselves, their parents, 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,” Mr 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 added that the ultimate objective of maritime education was not to produce graduates, but to develop a competent professional who could find meaningful employment, compete internationally and contribute to the growth of the marine economy.

Governor Umo Eno urged the cadets to uphold integrity, discipline and professionalism in their careers.
Mr Eno said the state government was investing in maritime infrastructure to develop the sector. He congratulated the graduates and urged them to join hands with the state to expand further and grow the maritime industry.

The governor said that to strengthen the sector, the government had established shoreline protection, terminal buildings, passenger ferry services, cold-storage warehouses for fishermen and passenger jetties.

(NAN)