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Nigeria Eyes IMO Category ‘B’ Seat

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16 years ago

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The Federal Government of Nigeria has started making moves towards ensuring that Nigeria moves away from the category ‘C’ to clinch the category ‘B’ of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) council seat, come 2011.

Reliable source from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in Port Harcourt has informed The Tide that the moves by Nigeria to clinch the category “B” council seat commenced with the campaign for re-election into the category “C”, which will also serve as guide to Nigeria, into moving up to category B of the IMO council in year 2011.

To this end, it was gathered that the Federal Government has stepped up efforts at ensuring that Nigeria retains her seat in the category ‘C’, and that as part of the efforts to sustain that, the Minister of Transport, Alhaji Ibrahim Bio has inaugurated two committees to work at ensuring that the bid is successful at the end of this first phase for 2009 last quarter taking place in London.

The main committee is headed by the permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Transport, with the director of maritime services as alternate chairman.

Other members of the committee include, the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers Council, as well as representative of Indigenous Ship Owners Association of Nigeria and the Nigeria Chamber of Shipping. The head of Public Relations of NIMASA, Hafia Lami Tumaka is also a member of the main committee.

On the other hand, the technical committee is made up of the Director General of NIMASA, Mr Temisan Omatseye, as the chairman, while member include, Captain A. S. Olopoenia, Barrister Matthew Egbadon, Mr William Azu, Mrs. J. A. Gunwa and Heaky Dimowo, all of NIMASA, while Engineer Grema and Joshua Okpo are from the Federal Ministry of Transport.

It would be recalled that Nigeria returned to category “C” of the IMO council in November 2007, after two unsuccessful attempts at getting back the seat in 2003 and 2005.

The category ‘C’ which Nigeria belongs to at the moment, has 20 members who are often elected in a keen contest at the bi-annual event which signposts a country’s relevance, both at regional and at the world body levels.

The committee members had acknowledged the enormity of the task at hand, and has expressed their desire to deliver, even as the battle appears toughest, in the history of IMO, considering the number of countries that indicated interest to contest.

 

Corlins Walter

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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7 days ago

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June 27, 2025

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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7 days ago

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June 27, 2025

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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7 days ago

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June 27, 2025

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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