Akpabio assures Oron nation of upgrading Maritime Academy to University

By Tunde Opalana

5 December 2025

News

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has given firm assurance to leaders of Oron Nation that their concerns over the upgrade of the Nigerian Maritime Academy, Oron, Akwa Ibom State, to a full-fledged University of Maritime Studies will be swiftly addressed in line with the already passed and gazetted law.

He made the pledge when he received select leaders of thought from Oron Nation during a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja.

The delegation was in his office in furtherance of consultations following an earlier meeting during which they requested more time to deliberate widely before taking a position.

A statement issued by Anietie Ekong, Special Assistant on Media/Communication to the Senate President, quoted Akpabio as noting that the Nigerian Maritime Academy had already been granted university status by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and had been duly gazetted.

He , however, explained that concerns had arisen on whether to retain the institution as an academy and empower it to award degrees—similar to the Nigerian Defence Academy—while preserving its current funding sources from bodies such as the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), or to transform it into a full Maritime University supervised by the Federal Ministry of Education.

That was why I sent the Senator representing Akwa Ibom South and the Member representing Oron Federal Constituency to consult with you, weigh the options, and report back,” Akpabio said.

added: “You have stated tonight your preference for a Maritime University, and I will convey your decision to the two Ministers concerned so they can meet, resolve the matter, and enable the constitution of a governing council, appointment of a Vice-Chancellor and other principal officers, and the eventual take-off of the institution.”

The Member representing Oron Federal Constituency, Hon. Martins Esin, recalled that during Akpabio’s tenure as Governor of Akwa Ibom State, over 100 hectares of land were acquired to support the planned upgrade of the Maritime Academy to a university.