Author: Saint Augustine

The creation of the standalone Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has put the focus of the international maritime community on Nigeria as she attempts to realize the vast potentials inherent in the marine environment. The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA who stated this during a courtesy visit by the new Managing Director of the NNPC Shipping Limited, Mr. Panos Gliatis, in company of a delegation from the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping to NIMASA, noted that some international Financial institutions were first in line to show interest in…

By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Anambra State has fixed February 3, 2024 for the By-election In Nnewi North/South/Ekwusigo and Orumba North/South Federal Constituencies. Addressing Journalists in Awka, the Anambra State capital, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Anambra State, Dr. Mrs. Queen Elizabeth Agwu said that the Commission was more than ready to conduct free, fair and credible election in the two federal Constituencies, assuring that every logistics necessary for the election had been put in place. Dr. Agwu warned against thuggery, vote buying, bribery, inducement and intimidation of any form, saying that there would be no…

The Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, OFR, says the Agency is committed to ensuring that the business of the Dangote Ports and refinery are not hindered by the implementation of the regulatory instrument under the provisions of the Cabotage law. Dr. Jamoh who made the assertions during a courtesy visit by a delegation from Dangote Port operations, led by the Managing Director, Dangote Port Operations, Mr. Akin Omole to NIMASA, said that the Agency will work with Dangote Ports to also ensure the Group does not breach any regulation of the Federal Government…

…Nigeria needs higher tax revenue – Finance Minister …FIRS contributes 70% of total federation revenues – Accountant General The Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS collected a record N12.374 trillion as tax revenue for the federation in 2023, surpassing the year’s target of N10.7 trillion. The Federal Government has handed the agency a target of N19.4 trillion for 2024, a mark the Chairman, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, said is achievable with the emplacement of an effective tax collection system and ensuring a viable economic environment for businesses to prosper. This was just as the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the…

The Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, inaugurated the Student Senior Course 10 and Junior Course 18 at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, NCCSC in Gwagwalada on January 23, 2024. Represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Training and Doctrine Command, TRADOC, Saidu Galadima, the CGC urged participants to seize the golden opportunity to add value to their career in Customs. He revealed that the Service has engaged in discussions with prestigious Nigerian Universities for postgraduate degrees at the end of the course, emphasizing the need for participants to generate new ideas and innovations to…

In a compelling revelation, Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, unveiled that the Federal Government is poised to save a substantial N8 trillion annually through the removal of fuel subsidies and exchange rate unification policies. Addressing a panel session at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s 2024 Economic Outlook and Budget Analysis, Oyedele stressed the necessity of purposefully utilizing these savings to alleviate the plight of the average Nigerian. The reported N4 trillion annual savings resulting from the fuel subsidy removal and an additional N4 trillion from the naira floatation underscore the magnitude…

The President, Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria, APFFLON, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, on Wednesday led the some officials of the association on a courtesy visit to the Customs Area Controller of the Apapa Customs Command, Comptroller Babajide Jaiyeoba where they entered a pact to ensure trade facilitation and boost revenue into the coffers of the Federal Government. Speaking during the visit, Ogunojemite lamented the persistent customs server failure which he said exposed the freight forwarders to the payment of unnecessary demurrage thereby adding to the cost of doing business at the port. He noted that the…

The Special Economic Zones Scheme has emerged as a powerhouse in Nigeria, attracting over $66 billion in Foreign Direct Investments, FDIs and N620 billion of Domestic Direct Investments, DDIs. The Chairman of Nigeria Economic Zones Association, Chief Nabil Saleh, who disclosed this today, at the Special Economic Zones Annual General Meeting 2023, noted that these investments have led to the creation of 35,000 direct and indirect employment, driving socio-economic development in the country. Giving sectoral breakdown, he said the Manufacturing sector takes the lead, commanding 45% of the total investments, closely followed by the Services sector at 30%. The Oil…

The National President of the Customs Officers’ Wives Association, COWA, Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi, spearheaded a momentous launching of the Customs Officer’s Wife Association, COWA Secretariat on Monday, at the Federal Housing Estate, Gwarinpa, Abuja. The occasion marked the inauguration of the National Secretariat and saw the esteemed presence of COWA’s founder, Mrs. Prisca Nwadialo, and A’ishatu Sadiya Dikko Inde, the second National President, under whom the Association established Chapters across the Federation. The event, attended by various Presidents of Officers’ Wives Associations from different Security Agencies in Nigeria, showcased the unity and strength within the organization. In her address, Mrs.…

The Nigeria Customs Service has reiterated its commitment to enhancing border security and trade facilitation by engaging officers in various capacity-building workshops. The Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, announced this on Monday at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College Gwagwalada. This marked the inauguration of a 5-day workshop on ‘Rules of Origin,’ co-organized by the Alliance for Trade Facilitation, GIZ, and the World Customs Organization, WCO. Represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, DCG Abdullahi Musa, CGC Adeniyi welcomed WCO Experts visiting Nigeria to enhance officers’ expertise in trade facilitation and enable…