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Maritime Industry, Admiralty Law, Key To Dev – CJN

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The Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, said the development of the maritime industry and admiralty law were key ingredients to the development of a nation.

The chief justice made the remark in Abuja on Tuesday at the opening of the 11th Maritime Seminar for Judges, where he was represented by Justice Dahiru Musdapher of the Supreme Court.

Katsina-Alu said that for a sustainable maritime industry worldwide, there was a need for Nigeria and other maritime nations to collaborate in order to encourage research and creditably adapt to new challenges.

He, however, acknowledged the immense contributions of the seminar to the development of jurisprudence in admiralty law and the development of the judiciary as a whole.

“The seminar series have helped in expanding and updating the knowledge of the judicial officers in this special area of the law.

“This makes adjudication of admiralty matters brought before the courts both at the trial stage and appellate level much less cumbersome,” Katsina-Alu said.

He expressed happiness over the growth maritime law, which he said, had witnessed gradual improvement in its development as a specialised area of law.

The chief justice said the maritime industry was a cornerstone of transportation in international commerce and stressed the need to address the problems facing the industry.

Katsina-Alu urged all stakeholders and participants to take active part in the seminar as critical issues relating to their various fields would be discussed.

In his address, retired Justice Umaru Eri, the Administrator of National Judicial Institute (NJI), said the seminar was predicated on the need to ensure that judicial officers were charged with sacred duties of dispensing justice.

He said the judicial officers should be vibrant in their knowledge of the law and should be kept abreast of developments in maritime law.

According to Eri, admiralty law and maritime practice play key roles to the development of the national economy and advancement of international trade.

He said that the collaboration had made it possible for Nigerian universities, especially in the faculties of law, to offer admiralty or shipping law as part of their curricula at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

“In order to ensure positive impact of the maritime seminar series on the development of the economy, there should be a greater emphasis on practical rather than theoretical issues,” Eri said.

The administrator said it was essential for heads of courts and judges of the state courts to participate in the maritime seminar series rather than restricting the seminar to the High Court Judges, Appeal and Supreme Court Justices.

Eri called on participants to take active part in discussing and the brainstorming on various issues relating to the development of the law and practices in the maritime industry.

Reports say that the seminar series, which started in 1995, was jointly organised by the Nigerian Shipper’s Council (NSC) and the National Judicial Institute (NJI).

NAN also reports that not less than 200 participants are attending the three-day seminar including Justices of the Supreme Court and Appeal Court as well as High Court Judges and the Chief of Army Staff, among others.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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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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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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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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