You can become an Ordinary Seaman, Able-Bodied Seaman, Bosun or Motorman onboard a Ship in Nigeria in these three steps.

A career as a Seafarer is indeed adventurous. You are paid well, you travel the world, and you're always "offshore".

Some people just like the swag that comes with saying they're working "offshore", Lol. Nevertheless, it's a rewarding career, and i'd talk about a few of the roles today. A typical Ship contains the following three segments ranging from cadets to established marine officers.

Depending on the nature of the vessel, it could contain more.

1. The Deck:

Chief Officer/Mate

Second Officer/Mate

Third Officer/Mate

Deck Cadets

Deck Rating

Bosun

Welder/Fitter

Able Seaman (AB)

Ordinary Seaman (OS)

Trainee (OS)

2. The Engine:

Chief Engineer

Second Engineer/First Assistant Engineer

Third Engineer/ Second Assistant Engineer

Fourth Engineer/ Third Assistant Engineer

Fifth Engineer/ Engine Cadet

Engine Room Rating

Fitter

Motorman

Wiper

Trainee Fitter / Trainee Wiper

3. Catering:

Chief Cook

Trainee Cook

Steward

So, you're interested in being a Seaman, good. First thing, find an experienced Seaman and talk to him. You will really need the guidiance. Visit the Ports, the launges around there, have a chat with one & befriend him/her. Also, note that certificates are not everything in the Maritime industry, experience in everything as the work is highly technical. So while bothering about getting the basic certifications, also consider how to get experience. I'd tell you how later.

An Ordinary Seaman is a seafarer in the deck department of a merchant ship who is undergoing training to become an Able seaman. The job of the OS on the deck of a ship includes cleaning the ship, taking care of it's paint job and in some cases standing guard, handling wires and cables, attaching and detaching the lifeboats etc.

An Able-bodied Seaman is a member of the deck crew and has varying roles from performing routine maintenance and docking duties,to performing Watch duties and other tasks as designated by the Deck Officers at their request.

A Bosun or Boatswain is the guy on the ship that ensures that everyone is doing their job. He is the one who ensures that the ship's officers are able to carry out their quota of work without constant direct involvement with the crew's deck work.

Step 1 - Take a Course.

The first thing that you need to do is to have a maritime training in Nigeria or any country. Take the basic seaman training course known as BST and get a certification. The training includes; Sea Survival Techniques, Personal Safety and Social Responsibility, First Aid, Fire Fighting and Fire Prevention. Check here https://maritimeacademy.gov.ng or https://nmu.edu.ng or any of the others. Whatever role you're aspiring for, this is really the starting point.

Step 2 - Get all your paperworks.

There are COC "certificate of competency" for every position onboard a vessel. For the ones we're discussing, the following are necessary.

BTS Certificate - Gotten in training school.

Seaman's Book - Serves as your passport in this industry.

STCW 95 Certificates

Passport - This is very basic as you'd have guessed.

Step 3 - Apply to Manning & Shipping Agencies.

After training and certifications, comes experience. There are many agencies out there, ensure you contact the legitimate once. Reach out to Vessel Owners/Companies. A lot of these companies are in Apapa.

Share & follow. More about Deck & Engine positions later. Stay tuned.

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