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The International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION) and Admiralty University of Nigeria (ADUN) have entered into a strategic technical partnership aimed at strengthening maritime capacity development, advancing industry-focused research and providing practical training to support the growth of Nigeria’s blue economy.
The partnership was unveiled during IMION’s maiden official visit to the ADUN campus in Ibusa, Delta State, where the institute’s Director-General, Rear Admiral Thaddeus Christopher Udofia (Rtd), Ph.D., presented the collaboration’s strategic roadmap to the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Christopher Bankole Ndubuisi Ogbogbo.
The alliance brings together two institutions with strong links to the Nigerian Navy and is designed to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and the practical requirements of Nigeria’s rapidly evolving maritime industry.
Rear Admiral Udofia described the partnership as a major step towards strengthening local expertise and unlocking the economic potential of the blue economy.
“This visit marks a new vista in our quest for excellence,” Udofia said. “We are engineering a powerful synergy to deepen local capacity, shape industry regulations, and unlock the immense billion-dollar potential of Nigeria’s blue economy for national development.”
He also commended ADUN for its transformational development and extensive infrastructure expansion, describing the ongoing modernization of the university’s campus as remarkable and strategically important.
Established by the Nigerian Navy in June 2024, IMION has so far trained more than 500 C-suite executives and senior government policymakers, according to the institute.
Under the new partnership, the institutions will introduce specialized executive programmes from September 2026, with emphasis on global maritime knowledge, practical industry applications, manpower development and other areas critical to Nigeria’s maritime economy.
As part of the emerging collaboration, IMION has invited the leadership of ADUN to participate in its Executive Course, “Logistics and Trade Facilitation for Blue Economy Growth.”
The three-day programme is scheduled for September 7–9, 2026, at the IMION Auditorium, NNS QUORRA Complex, Apapa, Lagos, with hybrid and virtual participation available to local and international participants.
Responding, Professor Ogbogbo welcomed the partnership, describing it as timely and aligned with the University’s capacity-building objectives.
He said ADUN stood to benefit significantly from IMION’s practical maritime expertise, joint research opportunities and advanced manpower development initiatives.
According to him, the collaboration will also facilitate the engagement of distinguished adjunct professors and visiting maritime scholars to strengthen academic and professional learning at the university.
Professor Ogbogbo further disclosed plans for ADUN naval architecture students to embark on educational visits to shipbuilding facilities in Lagos and Port Harcourt.
The visits are expected to expose the students to real-world shipbuilding operations and complement their classroom training with practical technical experience.
The partnership signals a broader institutional push to develop a stronger pipeline of maritime professionals equipped with both academic knowledge and practical industry competencies, as Nigeria seeks to maximize the economic opportunities within its blue economy.
