Maritime

Indigenous Ship Owners To lift Crude Oil, Soon

Published

15 years ago

February 11, 2011

The Minister of Transport, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman has constituted a 12-member committee to work out modalities of having indigenous ship owners transport crude oil.

The Minister also presided over a meeting with stakeholders in the maritime industry in Lagos, asked the committee to submit its report within two weeks.

The committee comprised representatives of the Federal Ministry of Transport, the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) Indigenous Ship-Owners Association of Nigeria (ISAN) , Federal Ministry of Finance and other representatives.

Suleiman said the ministry was making efforts to ensure indigenous ship-owners secure government’s approval to move crude oil. This is coming on the heels of reported loss of over N1.57 trillion by Nigeria through the carrying of its crude oil by foreign shipping firms.

He explained that there was need for the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to approve the shipment of oil based on cost, insurance and freight (CIF).

The minister noted that a lot of money that would have been collected by government agencies got missing through sales of the crude oil based on Free On Board (FOB0. he said such sales pattern had led to revenue leakages and stunted growth in the maritme industry.

Suleiman said the ministry would discuss with NNPC to be sure that its operations would not be jeopardized by the indigenous ship owners. “we will talk to NNPC to start the process of freight and asked the shipping companies to start carrying bilateral cargoes”, he said.

He said the NNPC and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources had insisted that indigenous ship owners must show that they are capable of effective handling the cargoes.

Suleiman said in doing this, government would not have a repeat of what happened during the cargo allocation era.

If the cargoes are given to indigenous shipping companies the economy would develop and more job opportunities would be created, the minister said.

On controversies over, the waiver clause, in the Cabotage Act, the Minister said in line with what obtains in other countries, he agreed that for any company that applied for waiver or exemption, the request could be forwarded to ISAN for their own inputs, saying, this would determine whether on indigenous company could handle it or not.

The chairman of ISAN, Chief Isaac Jolapamo said more than 200 ships owned by members of the association, mostly tankers and off-dock supply vessels were old.

He recalled that sometimes the association asked for ship repair and refurbishment fund so that some of the old vessels could be repaired, but nothing was done by government.

He called for strict enforcement of the cabotage law for government to generate enough revenue for the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) for Nigeria to acquire new vessels.

Maritime

Weak Shipping Line Regulation Undermines Customs Reforms —-Says SEREC

Published

1 week 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

1 week 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

1 week 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