around the West Africa sub-region rose through the ranks with very
little or no training at all.
From the above reasons it is proper and imperative that the crew
manning inland water craft should have consistent training in order to bring them to the
required standards. It is to this task that the Regional Maritime Academy Accra (RMA) has
set itself. The RMA serves the whole west and central African anglophone countries and any
good training programme will make a very big impact on the whole sub-region.
TABLE 1. VOLUME OF CARGO AND PASSENGERS HANDLED BY INLAND
WATERCRAFT IN 1995.
COUNTRY
GENERAL
PETROLEUM
PASSENGERS
CARGO
PRODUCTS
(TONNES)
(TONNES)
Ghana
88,060
5,358
467,355
Sierra Leone
61,651
9,072
565,896
Gambia
455,541
54,163
2,752,221
Source:
Answers to Questionnaire sent out by author.
4. TRAINING PROGRAMMES.
Since these training programmes are not deep-sea training programmes
nor rating training programmes, the courses have been so designed to meet the required
standard.
The programmes have been divided into three levels;
Level 1. Programme for Tugmates, Ferrymates.
Level 2. Programme for Tugmasters, Ferrymasters
Level 3. Programme for pilots.
PROGRAMME FOR LEVEL 1. AND 2.
The minimum entry qualification into the programme is General
Certificate of Education Ordinary or Advanced level (GCE "O" or "A"
level). See appendix 1. The student will then have to do on the job training for two years
on the tugs or ferries as trainee. The on the job training should be drawn by the employer
with consultations with the Academy so that the trainee would have adequate deck knowledge
by the end of two years.
The student will then enter the Academy where he will do one semester
of academic work duration 18 weeks After passing the examination at the end of the
semester, he will be awarded a certificate as a tugmate or ferrymate.
