Maritime

PTML Customs Nets N38m

Published

15 years ago

February 4, 2011

Ports and Terminal Multiservices Ltd (PTML) command of the Nigeria Customs Service, (NCS) said it recorded a total of N37,908,114.00 as annual revenue for 2010. This figure is however not inclusive of the Negotiated Duty Credit Certificate (NDCC) which stands at N3,147,750,053.00.

NDCC is an instrument designed by the service to assist manufacturers pay for raw materials when they do not have ready cash. The money is later redeemed by the importer at a future date.

According to Christian Chinedu Ogbonna, the Public Relations Officer of the Command, the 2010 annually generated revenue achieved 29 per cent increase from the 2009 figure. In 2009 the command recorded N29,462,110,789.88 while the NDCC for that year was put at N550,238,800.00.

Ports and Terminal Multiservices Ltd is one of the leading dedicated Roll-on/Roll off (RORO) terminals in West Africa. The company was registered in 2003 by Grimaldi Lines to respond the initial invitation of the Federal Government to participate in the development of ports facilities in Nigeria.

Acknowledging the necessity to expand terminal areas in Lagos rather than relying on the existing over stretched port facilities, Grimaldi Lines, through its Special Purpose Vehicle – PTML – proposed the development a completely new terminal in a totally neglected and underutilised area of Tin-Can Island.

This would have been the first new terminal built in Lagos, since the completion of Tin Can Island Port Complex in 1977. in February 2005, Grimaldi Lines through its subsidiary PTML signed an agreement with the Federal Government to Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) a new terminal in Lagos – Under the BOT agreement the first of this kind signed by the Federal Government in the Maritime Sector – Grimaldi assumed the obligation to build the new infrastructure at its own cost, to manage it for 25 years and pay royalties to the Nigerian Ports Authority and to return it at the end of the concession to the Federal Government.

The first phase of the terminal – which entailed the construction of a new 220mt berth, the paving of 220,000 sqm and the provision of all necessary infrastructure, was commissioned after only 16 months, in August 2006 by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo. The second phase which included the construction of a second 200 mt berth and the reclamation of additional 40,000 sqm of terminal area, was completed one year later.

Maritime

Weak Shipping Line Regulation Undermines Customs Reforms —-Says SEREC

Published

6 days ago

January 28, 2026

The Tide

The Sea Empowerment and Research Centre (SEREC) says poor regulation of shipping lines could undermine the credibility of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) reforms.

Head of Research SEREC, Dr Eugene Nweke made this Known to Newsmen in Abuja

Nweke said that customs efficiency was linked to the performance of the Nigeria’s maritime and trade ecosystem.

Hr described the NCS as central to the success of the National Single Window (NSW) risk-based clearance and trade facilitation reforms.

“However, Customs efficiency gains are systematically eroded when upstream shipping practices introduce artificial delays, speculative charges, remote cargo release approvals and opaque cost structures”.

“In effect, weak regulation of shipping line conduct externalises inefficiencies into the Customs clearance process, inflates transaction costs, distorts compliance behavior and undermines the credibility of customs-led trade reforms,”

Nweke said that SEREC had submitted a white paper to the government advocating that shipping line governance, port economic regulation, and customs trade administration should be treated as inseparable policy domains.

SEREC said Nigeria’s Port challenges were not only infrastructure-driven but governance-related, warning that weak regulation, missing oversight reports and unchecked discretion in systems like the NSW could undermine reform efforts.

SEREC recommended reforms for Nigeria’s shipping sector, including public release of committee findings, statutory refund timelines with penalties, banning speculative demurrage billing, mandatory local cargo release and alignment of shipping practices with the NSW among others.

Nweke said that the aim of the white paper was to draw attention to sharp practices and regulatory weaknesses that had evolved beyond operational inconveniences into macroeconomic and governance risks.

“For NCS trade reforms to deliver their full impact in 2026 and beyond, shipping practices must align with the same principles guiding Customs modernisation: transparency, predictability, automation, accountability and local control.

Nweke said that by 2026, stakeholders in Nigeria’s maritime industry hope to transition from opaque and arbitrary port operations to a transparent, rules-based system managed through digital technology.

He stressed that the shift should align with ongoing reforms and international best practices, facilitated by the government through providing enabling environment and enforcing regulations

“These include predictable costs, enforceable service standards, transparent billing, time-bound cargo release, and institutional accountability particularly as Nigeria advances the National Single Window (NSW), port economic regulation, and revenue optimisation objectives.

“The expectation is not the creation of new laws, but disciplined enforcement of existing instruments, public disclosure of regulatory outcomes, and insulation of regulators from political and commercial capture,” Nweke said.

By: CHINEDU WOSU

Maritime

Tinubu Approve Take Off Of Olokola Deep Seaport In Ogun State

Published

6 days ago

January 28, 2026

The Tide

Nigeria President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the immediate take-off of the Olokola Deep Seaport project in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area

The approval brings to an end years of delay surrounding the multi billion dollar Port.

Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun made this Known to Journalists during an interactive session

Governor Abiodun said the Seaport would help decongest Lagos ports, while oil drilling at Tongeji Island would boost economic activities and inclusion in coastal communities.

“The Olokola deep seaport project, which has been on the drawing board for several years, has been revived following a series of meetings with the President”.

“I want to sincerely thank Mr President because this is solely his initiative. In the last two weeks alone, we have held several meetings on Olokola, and he has clearly expressed his desire to see the port become a reality,” he said.

The Governor said the seaport would be known as the Blue Marine Economic Zone, would leverage the coastal road as an alternative logistics corridor and further ease pressure on the Lagos ports.

He commended the Nigerian Navy for establishing a Forward Operations Base at Tongeji Island, saying the move would enhance security and prevent infiltration from neighbouring Benin Republic.

The Governor said that the state government was working to provide basic amenities for residents of the island to improve living conditions and support emerging economic activities.

Abiodun thanked the Navy for its contribution to security in the state, attributing the relative peace in Ogun to collaboration among security agencies.

By: CHINEDU WOSU

Maritime

Gov Eno Vows To Actualise Ibom Deep Seaport Project

Published

6 days ago

January 28, 2026

The Tide

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno says his administration is commitment to deliver the Ibom Deep Seaport project as a critical infrastructure to boost the state’s economy and transform the region.

The Governor said this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the state government and the Interaf Group Consortium at the Government House, Uyo.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Enobong Uwah, Eno emphasized on the project’s significance.

“The project is a necessity for the people of the state as my administration is fully committed to putting the necessary requirements in place to get it on course,” Eno said.

The Governor urged the consortium to work closely with the Akwa Ibom Investment Corporation, AKICORP, and the government’s representatives to ensure its timely execution.

He commended the organisation for its interest in ensuring the actualisation of the project

The Governor thanked the former Petroleum Minister, Mr Don Etiebet, for being a part of the team, and for working toward the actualisation of the facility.

Earlier,Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Interaf Group Consortium, Mr Ezinwa Ibekwe commended the government for the confidence reposed in the company.

Ibekwe assured the government of the consortium’s readiness to deliver on its mandate, promising a collaborative approach to ensure the project’s success.

By: CHINEDU WOSU