Author: Saint Augustine

… Seeks 2-year validity for customs licenses The Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria, APFFLON has congratulated the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi on the successful deployment of the new trade facilitation tool popularly known as B’Odogwu. Just recently, the Service recorded a milestone with the issuance of the first Pre-Arrival Assessment Report, PAAR under the B’Odogwu sparking excitement and appreciation among the freight forwarding community. The President of APFFLON, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, in a statement in Lagos on Monday, described the development as yet another feat achieved by Adeniyi…

The Western Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its partnership with SIFAX Group in ensuring the security of Nigeria’s coastal and maritime environment. During a courtesy visit to SIFAX Group’s management, the Flag Officer Commanding the Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Michael Gregory Oamen, expressed appreciation for SIFAX Group’s unwavering support to the Navy. He emphasized the critical role of collaboration between the military and the private sector stakeholders in maintaining a secure and thriving maritime industry. “We have a constitutional mandate to secure our maritime domain for both economic activities and national security,”…

In recent times, the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA has been grappling with incessant boat mishaps, resulting in countless loss of lives on Nigeria inland waterways. Investigation reveals that the use of  unstable boats which are built by artisans without the application of modern principles of boat design, which in most cases, are overloaded with passengers and goods accounts for a greater percentage of these fatal boat accidents; in addition to non compliance to safety standards by boat owners and operators.  To forestall this ugly trend on Nigerian inland waterways, Flotilla Academy of Marine Technology is organising a professional training…

Even as some freight forwarding associations as well as some major stakeholders have rejected the new haulage rates approved for the Eastern seaports by the port economic regulator, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, NSC, the National Compliance Joint Taskforce of Licensed Clearing Agents, NCJTFCLA has harped on the need to conduct an honest assessment of the current market realities in rejecting the proposed haulage tariffs. The National President of the association, High Chief Dr. Basil Nwolisa who made the call in a statement in Lagos at the weekend, listed the factors to be considered to include the prevailing prices of petroleum…

The Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria, MARAN has confirmed the participation of key government and industry leaders at its forthcoming breakfast meeting focused on the Nigeria-Peoples Republic Of China currency swap. The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, representatives from the Federal Ministry of Finance, and the Chairman of the Customs Consultative Council, Aare Hakeem Olanrewaju, have all pledged their attendance at the event. Tagged, “Navigating the Nigeria-Peoples Republic Of China Currency Swap: Opportunities and Challenges for Import, Export and Maritime Business”, the forum is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at…

The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA United Kingdom, UK chapter has extended its congratulatory message to the executive governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo on his well-deserved consensus victory at the APGA primary election held on Saturday, 5th April, 2025 in Awka, the Anambra State capital. It will be recalled that over three thousand (3,000) delegates, on Saturday overwhelmingly returned Soludo as its consensus candidate in the forthcoming November 8, 2025 governorship election in a unanimous decision thus paving the way for his second term bid. However, in their congratulatory message to the governor, Hon. Peter Odirachukwu Ezekeli…

In furtherance of its agenda-setting role and interrogation of key government policies as they affect the maritime industry, Nigeria’s foremost maritime beat association, the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria, MARAN is set to beam its searchlight on the Nigeria-China Currency Swap deal. The event themed “Navigating the Nigeria-Peoples Republic Of China Currency Swap: Opportunities and Challenges for Import, Export and Maritime Business’ is set to take place at the Rockview Hotel in Lagos on April 15, 2025. The currency deal aims to provide naira liquidity to Chinese businesses and yuan liquidity to Nigerian businesses while reducing their dependence on the…

…Blames Shippers’ Council for delay The management of the Ports and Terminals Multiservices Limited, PTML has announced its intention to review the terminal and agency tariffs in order to meet up with the expectations of both the stakeholders and clients in maintaining high quality service delivery that the terminal is known for. Speaking during a familiarization visit by the leadership of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, led by its National President, Mr. Emenike Nwokeoji, the Managing Director of PTML, Mr. Ascanio Russo said that the increment had become necessary especially as the terminal had not increased tariffs…

Port users at Onne port in Rivers State have been enveloped with uncertainty as West African Container Terminal, WACT, a subsidiary of the APM Terminals has announced an increase in its Terminal Handling Charges, THC and the Storage Charge in line with permission allegedly granted it by the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC. This is as the National President of the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria, APFFLON, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite has urged the Nigerian Shippers Council to suspend the WACT tariff adjustment, which by his calculations was presently at 100 percent increment. In a notice to…

Comrade Francis Bunu was yesterday elected as the President General of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria, MWUN for the next four years in a unanimous decision at the 6th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference in Lagos. This is just the immediate past President General, Comrade Prince Adewale Adeyanju was declared the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of MWUN by the new President General, Bunu. Bunu, who until his emergence yesterday as the new President General of MWUN, was the immediate past Deputy President General of the union. He was elected unopposed alongside eleven others namely: Abubakar Bello – Deputy President…