Students of the Regional Maritime University (RMU) are calling on government, NGOs, and agencies within the maritime sector of Ghana to partner the school in key engineering projects that will provide sustainable solutions for societal problems.
The students of the Marine Engineering Department, as part of their final year projects, have come up with samples of wind turbines, solar-powered fishing boats, fibre-glass canoes among other innovations, in light of global safety and decarbonisation needs.
Speaking on Eye on Port, Mr. Alex Kojo Abayateye, SRC President of the Regional Maritime University, provided in-depth information on the inventions, their uses, and the advantages they provide the maritime industry as a whole.
“Some of the innovations are dovetail lifebuoy, the wind turbine and Remote Operated Vessels (ROV), which help to save sailors in ‘man overboard!’ situations, provide renewable energy, and construct installations beneath the sea by FPSOs, respectively,” he said.
Additionally, he indicated that local production of these inventions would lower the frequency and expense of importing these equipment.
A graduate assistant at the Regional Maritime University, Mr. George Obeng, advocated that if the Naval Architecture course is made to be studied in tertiary institutions, it will be a step in the right direction because the course offers a variety of career paths for students who enrol in the said course.
He went on to discuss the employment opportunities the course provides, mentioning the importance of environmental preservation and the construction of ships and vessels for the development of the country. He further gave a quick overview of the most recent advancements made by the naval architects of the Regional Maritime University and how they can benefit society.
To buttress the points he made earlier, Mr. Abayateye continued by discussing the competence of the naval architects and how their experience is required for the use of these new technologies.
A student at the Regional Maritime University, Mr. Joseph Yaw Sarblah, also shared his perspective on the frequent incidents on the Volta Lake, outlining their causes and potential solutions. He identified the primary contributory factors to these accidents as being inadequate boat operator training, overloading, and poor boat maintenance.
“The marine business is so meticulous that the personnel who fill particular tasks need to be well-equipped in order to avoid future issues,” he said.
He urged regulatory authorities like the Ghana Maritime Authority to ensure that the requirements set forth for boat operators to follow are strictly adhered to.
Investing in the innovations of the naval architects would help the marine industry solve problems, according to Alex Kojo Abayateye.
He proposed that agencies in the maritime sector offer scholarships to students who wish to register in courses related to the maritime industry. According to him, this will encourage more people to enrol in the course and encourage the development of new ideas that the industry needs.
Mr. Obeng appealed to the players in the maritime industry to collaborate with naval architects from the RMU to address the difficulties facing the industry.
The students of the maritime education and training institute appealed for funding, capacity-building, among other things, to scale up these innovative works for the development of the sector.
The Harbour Master of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Captain Francis Kwesi Micah, who joined the discussion via phone, commended the students responsible for the creation of the various inventions, saying that their actions should inspire other students to cultivate the habit of being innovative. He touched on how such innovations by the students would be of immense benefit to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals and revenue generation.
