Business

Calabar Port: N585m Cargo Scanner Rots Away

Published

17 years ago

July 17, 2009

Low activities at the Calabar Port have become a source of concern to Global Scan Systems Limited, one of the service providers in the country, as its N750 million machine lie in waste.

The machine is said to have performed less than five per cent cargo examination one year after the HCV Mobile Scanner was installed at the port.

According to a statement, the Chief Executive Officer, Global Scan System, Fred Udechukwu, said in Calabar that the machine valued at $5 million has been under utilised at the port.

Udechuwku explained that all the berths at the ports were often empty, adding that the situation was not encouraging for investors.

According to him, the company only handled 20 Single Goods Declaration (SGD) forms in one month, which was an indication that only 20 consignments were scanned averagely per month.

The Global CEO said the company incurred huge amount on salaries of workers and also spent a lot of money on diesel to power its generators, revealing that unless the federal government dredged the Calabar port for bigger ships to berth, activities would still remain low.

He said no ship owner would want his ship to run aground at the port, maintaining that only smaller vessels call with small consignments.

Udechukwu said the firm had been servicing huge loans borrowed from banks in procuring some of its facilities because cargo scanning was not progressing at the expected pace.

He described Calabar as a peaceful city that should be able to attract large imports if government could dredge the river, saying that the firm would, however, not relent in its efforts to ensure that contraband goods were not brought into the port.

Recently, Udechukwu said Global Scan System was able to uncover some contraband items like textiles, smuggled into the port and promised to do their best to ensure policies of the government is protected.

Oil pipelines running from the Port Harcourt Refinery at Alesa Eleme to Okrika Jetty in Rivers State. Photo: Chris Monyanaga

Business

NIMASA Unveil Blue Economy Programme

Published

8 hours ago

September 21, 2026

The Tide

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has unveiled the body’s Blue Economy Accelerator Programme, NIMASA-BEAP, and the National Innovation Hackathon, a strategic initiative designed to attract young innovators into Nigeria’s marine and blue economy industry, stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as attract private-sector investment into the sector.

The accelerator programme and innovation hackathon are expected to provide a structured platform for young Nigerians and innovative enterprises to develop solutions to some of the challenges and opportunities across Nigeria’s maritime and blue economy value chain.

In his welcome remarks, the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, described the initiative as a national development imperative aimed at positioning Nigeria to derive greater economic value from its maritime resources.

According to him, the scale of Nigeria’s maritime economy presents a significant opportunity for economic diversification, job creation, innovation and increased participation of Nigerians in maritime value chain.

“Nigeria’s maritime economy is a multi-billion naira frontier we have left largely untapped. We capture less than three percent of the value moving through our own waters.

NIMASA-BEAP exists to correct that historic imbalance,” Dr. Mobereola stated.

He challenged young innovators and entrepreneurs to “Lead this frontier. Do not follow it” and see the maritime sector not merely as an industry, but as a frontier for innovation, investment and national economic transformation.

Delivering the keynote address, the minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola CON commended NIMASA for the bold initiative saying it represents a paradigm shift from only regulating to engendering the implementation of the blue economy for the benefit of Nigeria.

According to the Minister, “I want to commend, the Director-General and CEO of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, and NIMASA’s Executive Management Team, for the vision and institutional boldness this programme represents. This is not a routine government initiative. This is a paradigm shift from NIMASA as a regulator, to NIMASA as a catalyst. The NIMASA Blue Economy Accelerator sets a standard that I am proud, as Minister, to champion it before this audience”.

Represented by the Director, Marine Conservation and Innovation, Mr Shettima Hussein Shehu, the minister urged stakeholders including commercial banks, development finance partners and maritime stakeholders to key into the initiative by investing, mentoring and partnering with NIMASA to advance the blue economy sector.

Participants at the event took turns to commend NIMASA for the novel initiative of NIMASA-BEAP and pledged their commitment to partner with the Agency to ensure its full realisation.

Representatives of the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, First Bank, Zenith Bank, Fidelity Bank, Wema Bank, Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Tamrose Limited, Petromarine Limited and Starzs Investment Limited were among those who committed to partner with NIMASA to drive the NIMASA Blue Economy Accelerator Programme.

The programme, which has been designed with clear timelines, responsibilities and accountability mechanisms to ensure effective delivery will open to young innovators aged from 18 to 28 on October 5, 2026 when the NIMASA-BEAP application portal goes live. Applications will close on November 13 2026, while independent evaluation and due diligence will take place from 16 November to 2 December 2026.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

NPCC Demands Faster Trade Processes

Published

9 hours ago

September 21, 2026

The Tide

The Nigerian Ports Consultative Council (NPCC) has intensified its push for seamless, transparent and predictable port operations, calling for stronger inter-agency coordination and faster processes to improve Nigeria’s competitiveness in regional and international trade.

The Council made the call at its quarterly meeting held Thursday at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, with stakeholders examining measures to simplify cross-border trade and enhance ease of doing business at Nigerian ports.

The meeting, themed “Simplifying Cross Border Trade and Enhancing Ease of Doing Business at Our Ports,” brought together representatives of government agencies and maritime industry stakeholders to review operational challenges and seek practical solutions.

The Chairman of the Council, Mr Bolaji Sunmola, expressed concern over persistent challenges confronting Nigerian ports, including the resurgence of traffic gridlock around Lagos ports.

He said the long-standing aspiration of positioning Nigerian ports as a hub for West and Central Africa would remain difficult to achieve without addressing the operational and infrastructure bottlenecks affecting trade.

According to him, the NPCC exists to bring stakeholders with real operational challenges together with relevant government agencies to develop practical solutions.

“We want each of the agencies to come here, feel free, talk, say what you’ve been doing, say what solutions you are offering to the millions of challenges we have,” Sunmola said.

Against the backdrop of the Council’s push for streamlined port processes, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) announced that its Maritime Electronic Management System (MEMS) is now live.

Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, represented by the Director of Shipping Development, Abdullahi Yelwa, said the platform would strengthen digital traceability, improve visibility into vessel movements and operational records, and support faster regulatory decisions.

He said MEMS would deploy centralised data, automated alerts and smart invoicing to improve documentation, reduce manual processes and strengthen compliance.

The system would also improve tracking of services such as waste reception through time-stamped records and clearer billing trails, while its monitoring and alert functions would support earlier responses to marine pollution incidents.

Mobereola said ease of doing business begins before a vessel arrives at the port, requiring predictable pre-arrival requirements, timely certification, proportionate inspections and prompt resolution of regulatory issues.

Mobereola disclosed that the Federal Government is targeting a reduction in average cargo clearance time from 21 days to under seven days, but cautioned that technology alone would not achieve the target.

He maintained that reliable systems, accurate data, clear service standards and disciplined cooperation among agencies operating within the port and border environment would be required.

Meanwhile, the Vice Chairman of the NPCC, Mrs Jean Chiazor Anishere SAN, said Nigerian ports must move beyond simply functioning to becoming seamless, transparent, predictable and business-friendly gateways for trade.

“Where processes are fragmented, duplicated or unnecessarily prolonged, the cost is ultimately borne by the trading public and the Nigerian economy,” Anishere said.

She challenged stakeholders to assess whether traders can move cargo through Nigerian ports with fewer physical interfaces, fewer documents, reduced delays and greater certainty about cost and time.

Anishere stressed that port efficiency cannot be achieved by one institution working in isolation, noting that the NPCC’s quarterly engagements were designed to bring agencies and industry stakeholders together to identify bottlenecks and develop coordinated solutions.

She said the Council would continue to engage relevant stakeholders and ensure that its recommendations are brought before the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

The NPCC Vice Chairman also identified efficient dispute resolution mechanisms, particularly maritime and commercial arbitration, as important to investor confidence and participation in international trade

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

Navy Uncovers Stolen Crude Oil In Rivers

Published

9 hours ago

September 21, 2026

The Tide

The Nigerian Navy has uncovered 119,850 litres of crude oil suspected to have been stolen, 350 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and 25 parcels of suspected Cannabis sativa at an illegal refining site in Ogbogolo Community, Ahoada West LGA of Rivers State.

The discovery was made last Thursday by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH under Operation Delta Sentinel following credible intelligence on the location, Navy spokesman, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho said.

In a statement issued Friday, Folorunsho said the suspected stolen crude oil was found in five dugout pits, while the suspected illegally refined AGO was recovered in six sacks.

He said no arrest was made as the suspects fled on sighting the naval personnel.

“The recovered products and suspected illicit substances were handled in accordance with extant regulations,” he said.

The latest success comes shortly after the conviction of nine crude oil thieves by the Federal High Court in Uyo, following their arrest during a Nigerian Navy-led operation under Operation DELTA SENTINEL.

The development highlights the growing impact of the operation, which combines sustained maritime and riverine interdictions with intelligence-led action to disrupt crude oil theft and illegal refining activities across the Niger Delta.

“Beyond recovering stolen petroleum products, the operation continues to degrade the infrastructure supporting the illicit trade while strengthening the chain from detection and interdiction to prosecution and conviction, ” the statement concluded.