Author: Saint Augustine

Exactly two years after his historic appointment as the Comptroller-General of Customs by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during a high-level meeting of the World Customs Organisation, WCO Council at Brussels in June 2025, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR has been unanimously elected as Chairperson of the WCO Council, the highest decision-making body in global customs administration. The election was held during the concluding session of the 145th/146th WCO Council Meetings held on Saturday, 28th June, 2025, at the WCO Headquarters in Brussels. CGC Adeniyi succeeds Edward Kieswetter, Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service, and becomes the first Nigerian to…

The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS has again been commended by the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, WTO, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for its remarkable strides in customs modernisation and trade facilitation. The recognition came during the 145th/146th Sessions Opening of the Customs Co-operation Council, held on Thursday, June 26th, 2025, at the World Customs Organisation, WCO Headquarters in Brussels. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, who delivered the keynote address at the opening of the Council Sessions, while making her remarks, applauded the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for the Service’s continued efforts in aligning its operations with international trade…

In a major milestone towards building a smarter, more transparent, and efficient maritime sector, the Federal Government has launched the Maritime Labour E-Platform, a digital solution designed to revolutionize the governance of maritime labour in Nigeria. Unveiled at the event marking the 2025 Day of the Seafarer in Port Harcourt Rivers State, the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, described the platform as a transformative tool for labour administration. “This E-Platform is a bold step toward digital governance, improved service delivery, and industry-wide innovation,” the Minister said. “It offers real-time data access, enhances regulatory compliance, and…

Fidelity Bank Plc, one of Nigeria’s top-tier financial institutions, has promoted 376 employees following its recently concluded annual performance review exercise. This represents approximately 12% of the bank’s workforce, underscoring its management’s deep appreciation for the pivotal role played by staff in recoding the highest growth by percentage volumes in the banking industry with 210% increase in its Profit Before Tax, PBT which grew from N124.3 billion in 2023 to N385.2 billion in 2024. The announcement, which was recently communicated internally, comes on the heels of a 20% across-the-board salary increase implemented in June 2025—a gesture that reflects the bank’s…

By Francis Uchechukwu Aniezechukwu Overview: Freight forwarders and Customs-licensed agents are the linchpins of Nigeria’s international trade responsible for canvassing importers, ensuring compliance, facilitating clearance, and ultimately securing revenue for the federal government. Yet they remain largely unacknowledged in national honors or financial compensation frameworks.  Regulatory Framework: •World Trade Organization, WTO: The WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement, TFA, aims to expedite the movement, release, and clearance of goods. It encourages member states to simplify customs procedures and ensure that legitimate trade faces minimal barriers.  Freight forwarders and customs agents are recognized as key private-sector partners in achieving TFA goals.  •World Customs Organization, WCO: The WCO develops…

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Bank Plc, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, has encouraged women professionals to embrace continuous learning, courage, and collaboration as key habits for achieving long-term career success and breaking through professional barriers. She gave the charge during a Women’s Roundtable hosted by the bank over the weekend at the Fidelity SME Hub in Gbagada, Lagos. Themed “Mentorship with Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe”, the event drew female professionals from various sectors and was held under the Recognition and Networking arm of the bank’s HerFidelity Proposition—a flagship initiative designed to empower women entrepreneurs and professionals across Nigeria. Explaining…

The management of ENL Consortium, operators of one of Nigeria’s busiest cargo terminals at the Lagos Port Complex Apapa, has debunked reports alleging that a cargo ship was gutted by fire at its facility on Saturday. In a statement issued by the company, ENL Consortium clarified that there was no fire incident aboard the vessel in question. According to the company, what occurred was emission of smoke from one of the hatches of the ship — a situation that was swiftly identified and effectively curtailed without escalation. “There was absolutely no naked fire on the ship,” the statement emphasized. “The…

The Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria, APFFLON has called the attention of the President and Commander-In-Chief the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the deteriorating state of police facilities across the federation. The letter which was addressed to President through the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President and dated 15th May, 2025 was signed by the National President of the association, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite. The letter was also copied to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, the Inspector General of Police, the Assistant Inspectors General of Police in…

The Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria, APFFLON, has called on the leadership of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria, MWUN to clarify its recent claims on the unionization and control of freight forwarding practitioners as widely reported in some sections of the media. It will be recalled that the outgone President of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria, MWUN, Shipping branch, Comrade Ekpeyong Ekpeyong, in his valedictory speech at the 6th Quadrennial Branch Delegate Conference held at the Union’s headquarters in Apapa, Lagos on Monday, stated that during his eight years in office, his administration…

Apart from the commencement of actual works on the $1 billion ports reconstruction, the Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority with unalloyed support of the performance-driven Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola has turned the fortunes of the authority around, writes Sunday Peter A quick glance of goings on at the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA in the preceding year reveals a readiness by the Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho to deploy his decades-plus experience in the maritime sector for the maximization of the benefits derivable from Nigeria’s littoral assets and blue economy potentials. Evidently, the home-grown Chief…