Dr. Kevin Okonna has been named acting rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron in Akwa Ibom by the Federal Government.

After Commodore Duja Effedua (rtd), the previous rector, resigned from the academy, the appointment is effective immediately.

The Academy’s Head of Public Affairs, Mrs. Domo Umoekpe, made this announcement in Uyo on Monday.

According to Umoekpe, the Federal Government’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, sent out a letter announcing the appointment.

According to her, the minister pushed Okonna to apply his vast amount of maritime industry knowledge to his new position.

“With the appointment of the acting rector, the academy will continue to effectively contribute to the realization of the ministry’s vision and President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” she added.

Okonna has been a dedicated member of the Academy for about thirty years and is a prominent marine scholar.

He has outstanding professional and academic credentials from reputable domestic and foreign universities, such as World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden.

He has worked for the Academy in a variety of roles after moving up the ranks.

These include serving as the first Head of the Department of Maritime Safety, the first Director of the now-defunct MAN Consultancy Services, and the first Director of the Directorate of Strategy and Research and Development.

“As a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and a distinguished member of the Nautical Institute (NI), UK,” she added.

She went on to say that Okonna has made significant contributions to the Academy’s growth.