By Steve Agbota
APM Terminals Apapa has announced its collaboration with Ocean Ambassadors Foundation (OAF) to host secondary school students to a career seminar on the maritime industry, in recognition of the Children’s Day celebration.
An initiative of OAF, the Blue Talents School to Sea Program is a project by OAF, which encourages the training of young female school leavers on export procedures including processing, packaging, warehousing, quality and the supply value chain. The seminar is expected to hold on Thursday, May 30th.
APM Terminals Nigeria CEO, Frederik Klinke said it was important for the terminal was to partner with the OAF in the development of future maritime professionals in the country.
He said: “The FG has identified the maritime sector as a pivotal area of focus. Its development of a National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy is a sign of its commitment to create an enabling environment that supports and promotes the growth of the sector.
“As a responsible organisation, we can also support the FG’s initiative by grooming the next generation of maritime professionals who would run this sector efficiently, ensuring its contribution to the national economy.”
He added that such collaborations between all stakeholders in the industry would hasten development of the maritime sector which in turn would translate into a vibrant economy for the country.
Terminal Manager, APM Terminals Apapa, Steen Knudsen, describes the collaboration as a way of giving back to the society.
He said: “This is just one of the many ways in which we give back. We have continuously engaged in several CSR projects at all levels of government; the Apapa community, state government and country at large.”
Senior People Business Partner, APM Terminals Apapa, Omolara Olatunbosun, said the program is of great importance to the terminal due to its particular focus of grooming female maritime professionals.
“This program is focused on the girl child. As a business, we support the growth of women in the industry, hence our mentoring program for our female employees. In the last few years, we have also recruited women into roles which were previously held by men.
“We hope by supporting this program to kindle the interest of the girl child in this sector by sensitizing them on the various career paths available to them,” she said.
The President of Ocean Ambassadors Foundation, Violet Olaitan Williams, expressed her appreciation to the management of the terminal for collaborating with OAF for this year’s Children’s Day Blue Talent School to Sea career day.
OAF is a Catch Them Young NGO with a grassroot approach in the maritime supply chain; and with a special provision for the Girl Child who is underrepresented in the maritime space.
Violet said: “APM Terminals Apapa’s gesture shows that 60 per cent of Nigeria’s youth population have a future in the supply chain sub sector.
“It also indicates that being a multinational terminal, they are willing to play their role in the nation’s progress and growth by aligning with the Federal government’s agenda for the marine and Blue economy ministry.
“We hope to partner with them for further engagement as regards the future of these students because they’ve depicted their terminal as a student-friendly one.”