The Oron Stakeholders Forum has expressed deep concern over the continued non-operational status of the University of Maritime Studies, Oron (UMSO), nearly four years after the institution was established by an Act of the National Assembly and signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari on February 16, 2023.
Press Conference in Abuja
Addressing journalists during a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the group described the prolonged delay in operationalising the university as unacceptable. They warned that Nigeria risks undermining its maritime development goals and losing critical opportunities within the blue economy sector. The stakeholders noted that despite years of advocacy, legislative processes, stakeholder engagements, and eventual presidential assent, the university still exists only on paper, with no substantive operational structures in place.
“A university that exists in law must also exist in reality,” the forum stated.
Origin of the Institution
The group traced the origin of the institution to recommendations made in 2008 by the Niger Delta Development Technical Committee, which proposed the upgrade of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, into a full-fledged maritime university. According to the forum, expectations following the signing of the bill into law included the appointment of principal officers, constitution of governing structures, and commencement of academic activities, none of which has materialised.
The stakeholders expressed concern that despite engagements with the National Universities Commission (NUC), consultations with relevant ministries, and mobilisation efforts by stakeholders, the university remains dormant. They questioned the Federal Government over what they described as an unusually slow implementation process, asking why the appointment of a substantive Vice-Chancellor and other principal officers had not been concluded, and why the Governing Council was yet to be fully constituted. The forum also queried why public resources were still being channelled into structures expected to transition into the new university framework.
National Significance
“This issue goes beyond Oron,” the stakeholders said, noting that the university was conceived as a national centre for maritime excellence, a driver of Nigeria’s blue economy, a hub for maritime research and innovation, and a platform for youth employment and educational advancement. They warned that every additional delay translates into lost educational opportunities, weakened public confidence, and stalled regional economic development.
Demands and Calls for Action
The group therefore called on the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene by ensuring the immediate operationalisation of the institution. Among their demands were the immediate appointment of a Vice-Chancellor and principal officers, full constitution of the Governing Council, issuance of clear directives to relevant ministries and agencies, publication of a transparent implementation timeline, and an administrative review of all factors responsible for the delay.
“We are not demanding special treatment. We are asking that an existing federal law be fully implemented,” the forum stated.
Speaking during the briefing, former Commissioner for Economic Development in Akwa Ibom State, Professor Emmanuel Onwioduokit, alongside the Chairman of the forum, Sir (Dr.) A. Ukwo Inuikim Obon, and the Secretary, Engr. Benedict Ukpong, maintained that the University of Maritime Studies, Oron, is not merely a regional project but a national institution critical to Nigeria’s maritime future. The forum added that it had engaged relevant authorities, including the leadership of the National Assembly, without any positive outcome.
