Despite a presidential assent over three years ago, the highly anticipated upgrade of Nigeria’s strategic maritime training institution in Oron, Akwa Ibom State, remains stubbornly on paper. While a new law legally abolished the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, and established the University of Maritime Studies, Oron, in its place, the defunct academy continues to operate, diverting billions of Nigerian naira into a structure devoid of legal backing, an exclusive investigation by PREMIUM TIMES has revealed. This puzzling stagnation not only jeopardizes the future of maritime education but also highlights significant accountability deficits within government circles.
The journey towards this upgrade began on February 16, 2023, when then-President Muhammadu Buhari signed the University of Maritime Studies, Oron (Establishment) Act 2022. This pivotal legislation, gazetted on May 15, 2023, was designed to elevate the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, governed for decades by the Maritime Academy of Nigeria Act, CAP M3 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, into a degree-awarding university. In clear legal terms, the venerable academy ceased to exist on the date of presidential assent. Yet, three years on, the legal pronouncement has failed to translate into practical reality; the university exists solely as a legal document, while the abolished academy inexplicably continues its operations, admitting students, preparing budgets, and receiving federal allocations.
This alarming delay, as uncovered by the investigation, transcends mere bureaucratic bottlenecks. It is reportedly fueled by a complex interplay of powerful financial interests and systemic weaknesses in accountability. Insiders suggest that influential government officials may be benefiting from maintaining the institution in its current ambiguous state – neither fully upgraded nor legally compliant – creating a veritable “cash cow” for entrenched interests within Abuja’s corridors of power.
The vision for the University of Maritime Studies, Oron, as outlined in the establishment Act, is ambitious and crucial for Nigeria’s aspirations in the maritime sector. It mandates the delivery of degree-awarding programmes in critical fields like marine engineering and nautical science, alongside postgraduate research in shipping, maritime technology, and marine environmental protection. Operating under the National Universities Commission (NUC) and aligned with global standards set by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the university is slated to become a national hub for maritime research, innovation, and international collaboration. Its strategic location in Oron, near Nigeria’s maritime boundary with Cameroon, positions it as a critical national asset for the nation’s burgeoning blue economy. Regrettably, none of these forward-looking provisions have seen implementation.
Faced with mounting scrutiny, government officials have consistently offered assurances that the transition is in progress. A letter dated November 29, 2024, from the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to the Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance, stated that the academy had been directed to begin transitioning, initiating a joint process with the Ministry of Education and the NUC. A follow-up meeting was reportedly scheduled for December 2024. Furthermore, on April 7, 2025, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) invited the institution to an orientation session for newly approved universities, a procedural step towards integrating it into the national admission system.
These actions, at first glance, hinted at progress. However, the reality on the ground narrated a starkly different story. The Maritime Academy of Nigeria stubbornly continued to admit students under its old structure. Even at the 2025 graduation ceremony in Oron, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, reiterated the government’s commitment to the upgrade, expressing “hope that this upgrade will unlock new opportunities for advanced learning, cutting-edge research and innovation.” Alas, such assurances remain, for now, mere aspirations.
As the unwarranted procrastination persisted, frustration escalated within the host communities. In December 2025, leaders of the Oron ethnic nationality embarked on a journey to Abuja, advocating forcefully for the immediate implementation of the law. Their meeting with the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, unveiled a more intricate dimension to the predicament. According to Akpabio, a discernible split exists within government over the institution’s future. Some officials reportedly favour retaining the academy’s structure while merely granting it degree-awarding powers, akin to the Nigerian Defence Academy. The primary driver for this preference, Akpabio explained, is funding. He highlighted that as an academy, the institution receives funds from specialized agencies like the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and even international bodies, a funding model that would drastically change if it transitioned into a full-fledged university under the Federal Ministry of Education, where funding and oversight mechanisms differ significantly. “You have spoken tonight about your preference for a Maritime University. I will convey your decision,” Akpabio assured the Oron delegation, exposing the central tension between legal compliance and financial convenience. In January 2026, the Oro Youth Movement further reinforced pressure, penning a letter to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, condemning the “undue” delay and demanding immediate implementation of the law.
Financial records reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES offer a compelling explanation for why the status quo remains so attractive to certain interests. Under Section 16 (2) of the NIMASA Act, the agency is mandated to remit at least five percent of its annual revenue to the Maritime Academy of Nigeria. This provision has funneled billions of naira into the academy’s coffers. Between 2021 and 2024, NIMASA remitted a staggering N12.21 billion to the institution. Specifically, N6.19 billion was remitted in 2021, N3.93 billion in 2022, and N2.09 billion in 2024. Figures for 2023 and 2025 were not publicly available, and NIMASA, despite acknowledging a media enquiry on March 9, 2026, had not provided the data at the time of this report’s filing.
However, a closer examination of the academy’s spending patterns, as documented on Nigeria’s Open Treasury Portal, reveals a troubling disparity: the academy consistently spends significantly less than it receives from NIMASA. Consequently, the whereabouts of the substantial remaining balances remain conspicuously unaccounted for in public records. In 2021, the academy spent a mere N1.37 billion out of the N6.19 billion it received. In 2022, it expended N361.85 million from N3.93 billion, and in 2024, N602.28 million from N2.09 billion. Intriguingly, a comparison of NIMASA remittances with the federal government’s direct budgetary allocations to the academy shows that government-approved budgets are consistently lower than the revenue generated, leaving unexplained funds. For instance, in 2021, with N6.19 billion remitted, the federal government’s approved budget was N2.1 billion (33.9% of revenue). This pattern recurred in 2022 (N3.93 billion remitted vs. N2.06 billion budget) and 2024 (N2.09 billion remitted vs. N1.63 billion budget). Each year, billions remained unaccounted for, sparking serious questions. When contacted on March 8, the Acting Rector of the Academy, Okonna Kevin, failed to respond to enquiries about the unspent funds or accountability measures, reportedly hanging up the phone and not replying to subsequent messages. Sources within the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the Ministry of Education described the academy’s funding model as providing “unusual financial flexibility,” thus creating avenues for fund diversion with minimal oversight.
Concerns about financial mismanagement at the institution are far from new. The academy has been plagued by recurrent allegations and investigations over the years. In 2015, a former rector, Joshua Okpo, was implicated in an N18 billion fraud case. In 2021, another former rector, Joshua Effedua, controversially alleged that as much as 80 percent of allocated funds had been misappropriated over time. That same year, the Senate Committee on Public Accounts investigated the academy for the alleged diversion of N1.05 billion. In 2023, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) listed it among 52 federal agencies deemed to have a high corruption risk. These incidents collectively underscore the deep-seated issues surrounding fund management at the institution.
Beyond the financial quandary, the glaring legal contradiction becomes even more pronounced with continued budgetary allocations to a legally defunct entity. The Act establishing the University of Maritime Studies unequivocally repealed the Maritime Academy Act, yet the federal government persists in allocating funds to the academy in its annual budgets. In 2024, N1.63 billion was allocated in its name. For 2025, the figure swelled to N3.11 billion, and a staggering N2.73 billion has been proposed for 2026. During the 2026 budget deliberations, Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro issued a stern warning that this practice could expose the National Assembly to legal action. “This is a legal matter,” Moro asserted, “I think if we do not comprehensively address it, we may be complicit in illegality. All funds allocated to the Maritime Academy Oron from the date the law establishing the Maritime University becomes law are illegal allocations.” He implored the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, Solomon Adeola, to collaborate with relevant authorities to ensure legal adherence during the transition before the 2026 appropriation bill becomes law.
The stark contrast with developments elsewhere further highlights the puzzling inertia in Oron. On January 27, 2025, President Bola Tinubu signed the law establishing the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko. Within months, it had a vice-chancellor and was seamlessly integrated into the federal university system. Its 2025 budget stood at N5.08 billion, slated to rise to a proposed N5.26 billion for 2026—almost double the allocation proposed for the Oron institution. This swift progress for Okerenkoko underscores what is achievable when political will aligns with legal mandates.
PREMIUM TIMES diligently sent detailed enquiries to the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy (via the Special Adviser to the Minister, Bolaji Akinnola) and the Senate Committee on Marine Transport and Blue Economy (Chairman Wasiu Eshilokun) on February 27, 2026; to the Federal Ministry of Education (Director of Press, Folasade Boriowo) on March 6, 2026; and to the Acting Rector of the Maritime Academy on March 8, 2026. The questions sought clarity on concrete transition steps, reasons for the delay, continued budget allocations to the repealed academy, timelines for full compliance, and any formal directives issued. Despite these concerted efforts, none of the officials responded to the questions before this report was filed, casting a long shadow over transparency. For students, maritime professionals, and the beleaguered host communities of Oron, this is no longer merely an administrative hiccup but a profound crisis concerning the credibility of Nigeria’s maritime education system and, indeed, the effectiveness of the rule of law in the land.
Originally sourced from Premium Times. This article has been rewritten for our readers.
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