UNILAG LSCM Masters students express delight over field trips to terminals
...say experience has exposed them to practical knowledge of maritime.
UNILAG L
By Segun Oladipupo
Students of Masters in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, University of Lagos, on Tuesday, visited Eko Support Services Limited and AP Moller Terminal (APMT) at the Lagos Ports Complex, Apapa, Lagos.
The students, numbering about 35, expressed delight over the experience garnered during the field trip to the two terminals.
According to some of the students that spoke with our correspondent, the experience during the trip, would broaden their knowledge of the Marine and Blue Economy sector.
The excursion, it is believed will boost the practical knowledge of the students’ course of study, away from the normal class activities.
The Coordinator of the Trip,
Abilawon Oluremi Solomon said that the tour was initiated to expose students to industrial and practical knowledge of the maritime sector.
He added that the tour was basically for the students to get first hand knowledge on how the terminals operate and to be properly informed about maritime activities.
He stressed the need for students to constantly engage themselves in field trip adding that the initiative would expose them to better understanding of their courses aside classroom activities.
His words, “I am into this course to have logistics knowledge and to understand the logistical issues. I am better informed and more educated with this field trip and the system we met at the terminals are quite impressive”
Assistant Registrar, Institute of Maritime Studies, UNILAG, Ahmed Akinola lauded APMT Apapa for the standard facilities on ground adding that students were better informed about modern port operations.
The elated Assistant Registrar quipped that the experience would help the students to express themselves better in their chosen course of study.
He also called the new Minister of Marine/Blue Economy to look inward and promote academic activities through regular excursions to maritime institutions locally and Internationally noting that the Industry has the potentials to employ graduates of maritime studies and other transport related fields.
While addressing the students about operational activities of the facility, Terminal Manager, Eko Support Services Limited, Chris Mbonu, said cargoes received at the terminal were of diverse purposes.
Mbonu told his guests that the concessionaire handled cargo professionally, adding that Eko Support Services Limited was a multipurpose terminal and not a container terminal alone.
He explained that the terminal is deeply involved in real time operations and it is privately owned. The terminal operator is always busy with handling imported cargoes.
The Base Manager added that Eko Support Services Limited has a total space of 72,000 square meters.
At APM Terminals Apapa, representatives of the port concessionaire highlighted some salient points on how operational activities are carried out by workers and the technicalities involved on cargo movement.
According to Olaleye Adesola of APMT, Apapa, who took students round the facilities, the terminal is structured through automation and cargoes are tracked digitally.
He said the purpose of automation was aimed at enhancing seamless operations in line with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and International best practices.
Governor of the class, Oyewole Olubukola Titilayo expressed satisfaction at the field trip even as she maintained that the trip would help improve their knowledge of the course
According to her, the trip.was initiated by one of the class mates who works at the terminal.
She submitted that the students were able to see practicals of what they have been studying in books in the classroom.
“Last semester, after our physical class, we had a gathering at the Lagos front, and we deliberated on where to go for this semester, one of us who work here suggested that we should come here.
“It is just a form of social gathering for us.
“We were able to learn how they operate in Eko Support Services terminal because it was my first time. I was able to see how trucks come in and they made us understand that they are basically Oil &Gas logistics terminal and they also told us how they do their loadings, how they receive vessels and the likes.
“We have been reading about all these activities and I can as well Google and see but seeing it physically, meeting with the Base Manager and the questions that we asked there, is entirely different from the normal class activities,” she stated.
Also speaking, one of the students, Oluwatoyin Oyeleke, when asked what government should do to encourage more participation of younger generation in maritime studies, said that the government has been doing a lot in that regards but added that there was room for more.
The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) chieftain lauds efforts of NIMASA and other government officials for encouraging participations in the studies of maritime especially at the University of Lagos.
“Government has been doing a lot and the reason we are here today is part of what government has done.”
