Author: Saint Augustine

Nigerians especially those directly linked with the nation’s maritime sector were last week startled with the news that the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) had accredited three companies namely; Quality Assurance Projects Limited. Medtech Scientific Limited and Cotecna Destination Inspection Limited to carry out pre-shipment verification of conformity to standards on used vehicles otherwise known as Tokunbo coming to Nigeria. The news which filtered into the air like a wild fire was let out of the bag by the Director-General of SON himself, Dr. Joseph Odumodu shortly after the signing of an agreement to that effect explaining that the move…

…Seeks amendment of CRFFN Act The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has blamed the problem bedeviling the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) on government intervention. This was made known by the National President of NAGAFF, Dr. Eugene Nweke while playing host to the National Executives of the Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarding and Customs Brokers (NIFFCB) who paid him a courtesy visit at the NAGAFF National Secretariat in Lagos recently. Nweke disclosed that it was the urgent need for the Freight Forwarders to regulate the profession themselves that necessitated the initiation of…

The Joint Council of Seaport Truckers (JCOST) has said that it would support any effort by the government aimed at ensuring standardization of all the trucks operating within the nation’s seaport. The secretary General of JCOST, Mr. Godwin Ikeji who was reacting to the minimum standard set for all the trucks that are plying the Lagos Port Complex by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said the Council was not against such move adding that they had been applying the said standard before now. Ikeji while assuring of full compliance by truckers to the minimum standard set by the NPA however…

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Hajia Inna Maryam Ciroma has been slated to be the Chairman of the 3rd anniversary of Port Gist and Event on television. The event which will feature a Workshop on the Appraisal of the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) in the last ten months will have the Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Dr. Abdullahi Inde Dikko as the Special Guest of Honour. Also expected at the event are the Vice Chairman of Sifax Group of Companies, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi who will be the Guest of Honour, Deputy…

As the world gets set to mark the International Day of the Girl Child, the #BringBackOurGirls movement and the families of the abducted Chibok girls have called for a Global Week of Action from the 11th to 18th October, 2014 to mobilize everyone around the world to demand for the immediate rescue of the girls. Speaking in a press release issued and signed by Rev. Enoch Mark and Oby Ezekwesili, parent of one of the abducted Chibok girls and Co-Convener respectively and eight others, the group pointed out that the call becomes necessary as this year’s theme for the United…

The Joint Council of Seaport Truckers (JCOST) has called on the Federal government to revisit the idea of establishing a transporters’ bank which it earlier proposed to assist transporters in the country build capacity in their business. The Treasurer of the Council, Alhaji Isiaka Olalere who made this call in an interview with Primetime Reporters in Lagos said that the bank when established would benefit every duly registered transporter in Nigeria and reduce the cases of rickety trucks plying the nation’s highway. Olalere maintained that the call became necessary following their inability to access loans from the regular commercial banks…

Nigeria last week marked the celebration of the nation’s 54th Independence anniversary. During his independence day anniversary message to Nigerians, the President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan used the occasion to reel out the achievements of his administration in the last three and half years. 54 years down the line, our correspondent, in this report takes a look at Nigeria’s progress with particular attention to the maritime sector of the economy. The Maritime sector remains a key sector of the Nigerian economy whose enormous potentials deserves continuous harnessing in order to meet the expectation of the government. To demonstrate the government’s resolve…

…to invests more in ICDs In a bid to decongest the ports so as not to overstretch the existing seaports, the Federal government has concluded plans to invest more in Inland Container Depots (ICD) for prompt evacuation of cargoes out of the ports. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Maritime matters, Mr. Leke Oyewole who made this known in Lagos recently while fielding questions from journalists stated that the creation of ICDs would further augment the operations of the three Deep Sea ports being constructed in various parts of the country. According to him, we are developing Deep Sea…

…Say it is not good for business The Shippers Association of Lagos State (SAL) has described the difficulties currently being encountered by the commuters accessing the Apapa ports due to the ongoing reconstruction of roads in the area as not being good for business. The President of the Association, Rev. Dr. Jonathan Nicol who made this known while speaking to journalists on the sideline of the meeting the association and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in Lagos recently regretted that movement from the park Lane Apapa to the Apapa Port which ordinarily would not have taken more than ten minutes now…

The former Chairman, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Tincan Island Chapter, Dr. Kayode Collins Farintho has called on the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to make public, the names of Nigerians and non Nigerians alike who benefit from the Federal government Waiver system. Farintho, who was reacting to the recent figure released by the federal government as the amount granted in waiver between the month of January and May, 2014 which was put at #28.5 billion, observed that the demand was necessary to enable Nigerians know whether or not those who were benefiting from such waivers actually…