COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF 9TH EDITION OF THE ANNUAL MARITIME STUDENTS AND YOUTHS (AMSAY) CONFERENCE ORGANIZED BY PLATFORMS COMMUNICATIONS ON TUESDAY MAY 27, 2025 AT MISSION TO SEAFARERS CENTRE, APAPA- LAGOS, NIGERIA.
PREAMBLE:
The AMSAY Conference is a Nigeria maritime industry succession plan programme that centres on the youth on whose shoulders rest the future and sustenance of the industry. The programme, as conceived and organized by Platforms communications, brings together maritime students/graduates and experienced maritime industry professionals to engage in discussions aimed at proffering solutions to critical and contemporary issues affecting the future of the industry.
The conference provides the young and future maritime practitioners a unique opportunity to meet and interact with maritime professionals in order to share knowledge with them beyond their classroom work.
The theme of the 9th AMSAY Conference was: “Automation and Digitalization of Maritime Operation”, and the occasion attracted stakeholders from various areas of maritime practice, including the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), the Nigeria Customs Service, the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding In Nigeria (CRFFN); representatives of maritime companies and organisations, proprietors and management staff of different maritime training institutions, maritime lawyers, and shipping operators, pressmen, etc. In attendance also were students and new graduates of various maritime training institutions across the country.
The conference featured Special Addresses, Paper Presentations, Panel Discussion, Question and Answer Session, Speech-making Competition by the students, and presentation of Awards of Academic Excellence to best graduating students.
Special Addresses were delivered on these topics by the following Heads of Agencies:
1. “NCS and Its Trade Modernization Programs: Benefits and Challenges” – Customs CG.
2. “The Future of Freight Forwarding Profession in the Proposed National Single Window Initiative” – CRFFN Registrar.
3. “Curbing Incessant Boat Mishaps on Nigerian Waterways through Technological Innovation” – NIWA MD.
Meanwhile, the Lead Speaker, Engr Emmanuel Emesiri, Senior Surveyor, Phoenix Register of Shipping made a Lead Paper Presentation on this topic entitled, “The Future of Maritime Students and Youths in the Face of Digitalization and Automation of Maritime Operations”
The paper presentation and other special addresses attracted clarifying questions, answers and interventions. This was followed by a panel discussion during which young professionals brilliantly analyzed the trends in ICT and the maritime/shipping industry, proffering solutions on the various concerns and issues that bother the average Nigerian cadet. In all, they underscored the relevance of digitalization in the maritime industry and how it will impact future careers of today’s students.
OBSERVATIONS:
After the paper presentations and panel discussions, several observations were made by the presenters and the discussants. These include:
1. Digitalization and Automation in the maritime industry involves series of recent technological innovations adopted to ease trade and make trade facilitation seamless. These technological innovations are changing how port business and other maritime operations are now being carried out.
2. Specifically, technological innovations are now being used in the areas of navigation, voyage planning, vessel management, cargo handling, transport and terminal operations. They have also been adopted in ship maintenance and engineering, maritime safety and compliance, offshore activities, safety and environmental protection.
3. Cadets are international assets. Their jobs and sphere of competition is not national, but international.
4. Digitalization and Automation may appear like a threat to maritime workforce, but presents new opportunities, especially in the area of technology.
5. Digitalization in the industry is a moving thing; it will never roll back, so cadets must fully embrace digitalization and ICT since it is what now defines shipping/maritime operations.
6. The maritime and shipping industry is being increasingly technology-driven.
7. Maritime students must therefore, prepare their minds for the ever-changing maritime space. They should not be dogmatic but open up to new skills in technology such as artificial intelligence and robotics, maritime data analytics and software development.
8. Students still believe that maritime training is all about going on board vessels, but there are many other professions derivable from their training that does not involve going to sea.
9. Maritime cadets should strive to understand local maritime industry needs in line with the IMO goals, especially in the areas of green energy and find how they can carve a niche for themselves and become part of the solution.
10. The conference observed that maritime schools curricula are behind time. Therefore, they must be reviewed and upgraded to include more practical and technological areas to align with global requirements and expectations for maritime trade.
11. The future of maritime students is bright, but they must align themselves with the present automation and digitalization of maritime operations.
12. Maritime operations require competence in every area. There is no room for mediocre or underperformance, hence the cadets must strive to be very competent in order to operate in any area they find themselves.
13. Career opportunities in maritime are endless. Over 150 professions in maritime have been identified, so no student who studied maritime related course should be unemployed if they have the right mentorship.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
In addition to most of the observations which contain implicit recommendations, the conference participants specifically recommended that:
1. Students should look away from the endless complaint of lack of sea time training, and focus on other numerous opportunities in the maritime industry. Not everyone who undergoes training in a maritime institution must go to sea.
2. Students and young cadets should seek mentorship from experienced maritime professionals across the world, using Platforms like LinkedIn. Students are encouraged to be at home with research and using AI such as ChatGPT and Grok to discover how to unravel certain career challenges they may be facing.
3. They should engage their phones profitability and not waste their time and resources on unprofitable and degrading websites. They have tremendous ability, energy and opportunity to navigate the world of maritime/shipping as everything is on their phones and laptops.
4. Those aspiring to be seamen should study and be proficient in the use of computer software packages. That will help them advance in their careers; as such proficiency will attract recommendations from the chief engineer, ship captain, etc.
5. Students are advised to pursue competence in either of the two aspects of maritime/shipping –technical and commercial –and stay focused on their area of choice.
6. Government agencies should sponsor career enlightenment programmes and events for maritime students/cadets like the AMSAY Conference and its sister program, the Maritime Career Mentorship Programme (M-CAMP), and ensure it is expanded beyond Lagos to benefits maritime students in the South-South and South-Eastern part of the country.
7. Platforms Communications should be commended for its expressed concern for the future of Nigerian maritime cadets, and encouraged in its relentless efforts to ensure proper mentoring for them. The company’s AMSAY Conference ranks among the top annual maritime events in Nigeria.
RAPPORTEURS:
1. Enyeribe Anyanwu
2. Samson Echenim
3. Yousouph Joshua
Thank you and be assured of our esteemed regards.
SIGNED:
Mr. Sylvanus Obasi Mr Oluremi Abilawon
Convener, AMSAY Conference, Secretary,
Tel: 08146289698, 07039705851. Central Planning Committee
