Author: Saint Augustine

A maritime Lawyer, Barr. Emeka Akabogu has decried the open opposition to the status of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NCS) as the economic regulator of the Nigerian ports by the terminal operators describing it as unfortunate. It will be recalled that the terminal operators under the aegis of the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) had dragged the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) before a Federal High Court sitting at Ikoyi in Lagos over the Council’s circular directing the terminal operators to revert to storage charges as approved by the Minister of Transport as at May 1, 2009, a case…

…Calls for reduction in training fees                   The training institutions accredited by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to run its training programmes for both the would be freight forwarders and freight forwarders as well has called on the council to put some measures in place towards making the training programmes attractive to the target audience. The institutions made this call in an interview with newsmen at the end of the summit organized by the CRFFN for registered Freight Forwarding Associations and Accredited Training institutions in Lagos recently. The Rector, Emdee Shipping and Maritime College,…

The National President, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Mr. Lucky Amiwero has called on the relevant authorities to consider a change in the process of inspecting goods coming into the country for optimum gains. Amiwero who was speaking at a public forum organized by the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) in Lagos recently disclosed that what was obtained currently in the country was not the best adding that other nations of the world had changed their processes of inspection, the reason the World Customs Organization (WCO) developed the SAFE framework. According to him,” SAFE framework…

The National President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu has called on the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) to create a help desk so as to enable agents and stakeholders to access their services. Shittu who was speaking at a the public forum organized by SON in Lagos recently stated that the desk would facilitate quick information sharing which would in turn boost the confidence of the agency’s processes. He opined that with the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in vogue, people don’t need to travel a long distance to access the services of the SON…

The Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) has dismissed fears over the legality or otherwise of it Standards Organization of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) saying that it was not aware of any issue around its legality or otherwise. The National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Customs Licensed Agents (NCMDLCA), Mr. Lucky Amiwero had in a presentation at a public forum organized by SON in Lagos recently, raised a question over the legality or otherwise of SONCAP calling for it to be tied to a law. However, the Director-General of SON, Dr. Joseph Odumodu said that SONCAP…

The Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) has blamed insincerity on the part of the importers and their agents as its reason for intercepting containers on the highway. Speaking at a stakeholder’s forum in Lagos recently, the Director-General of SON, Dr. Joseph Odumodu recalled that the organization used to guide container to the warehouses but have to stop it when the importers and their agents devised new method of eluding the organization. Odumodu explained that as a result of the antics of the importers to beat SON to its game and evade inspection, they have to evolve the idea of intercepting…

The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) has warned freight forwarders to desist from running to the press or the court to settle matters that ordinarily would have been settled by the Council. Speaking in a meeting with the freight forwarders in Lagos recently, the Registrar of the Council, Sir Mike Jukwe added that freight forwarders who run to the court or the press instead of the Council for resolution would no longer be allowed. Jukwe stated that freight forwarders should instead bring their matter before the tribunal of the Council which would try and find…

… As Aviation Minister Cautions Clearing Agents Against Unruly Behaviour Barely three weeks of crises that eventually resulted to the closure of the two cargo sheds, namely; Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) and Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL)  at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport(MMIA), the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Alhaji Dikko Inde Abdullahi on Wednesday, ordered that they should be reopened for business. But, the casualty appeared to be the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Murtala Mohammed Airport Command, Mr  Tajudeen Olarenwaju who have been removed and replaced with the Controller of the Ports and…

…Describes action as needless The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has condemned the last withdrawal of service by the Freight Forwarders operating at Apapa Port against the AP Moller terminals (APMT) and ENL terminals describing it as a needless exercise. Recall that the Freight Forwarders operating at the Apapa Port under the aegis of Joint Associations Committee comprising of four freight forwarding associations and a trucking association last month embarked on a twelve days withdrawal of service to protest what they called arbitrary charges by the authorities of the terminals. In a press statement issued on Monday…

The National President, Association of Nigerian Licen      \ed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince OlayiwolaShittu has called on the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) to organize periodic trainings for Licensed Customs Agents in the maritime industry to keep them abreast of their operations and activities. Shittu who was speaking on the sideline of the stakeholders’ forum organized by SON for maritime industry in Lagos last week said that such trainings would enable them to know their left from their right with regard to standards. According to him,” the training is not like sending us to school for two, three years or four…