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

Customs Kaduna Command Generates ?5b Revenue In Oct

Published

2 days ago

November 10, 2025

The Tide

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kaduna Area Command, has achieved a new revenue milestone, generating ?5.16 billion in October 2025

The Area Command said the feat was the highest monthly revenue ever recorded.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSC Ridwan Yusuf, revealed this in a Statement made available to Journalists

The figure, Yusuf said, represent 96 per cent increase above the monthly target and a 196 per cent target performance.

Yusuf said that the command collected ?39.79 billion between January and October 2025, compared with ?24.06 billion generated during the same period in 2024 reflecting a substantial year,on year growth.

the Area Controller, Comptroller Saad Hassan, attributed the record performance to the dedication and professionalism of officers and stakeholders, in line with the modernisation agenda of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi.

He identified improved stakeholders’ engagement, digitalisation of excise operations, and enhanced officers’ motivation as key factors driving the Command’s success.

“The Command’s performance demonstrates the effectiveness of our current operational strategies and our unwavering commitment to national economic stability,” Hassan said.

He assured that the command would continue to sustain the momentum by facilitating legitimate trade and improving revenue collection mechanisms.

The Command also reaffirmed its resolve to uphold professionalism and integrity in line with the service’s overall mission of trade facilitation and economic growth.

By; Chinedu Wosu

Maritime

Shipper’s Council Advocates Sensitization Of Staff On NSITF Scheme

Published

2 days ago

November 10, 2025

The Tide

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has called for proper Sensitization of staff on the proposed insurance scheme by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).

Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, NSC, Akutah Pius, made the call while playing host to a courtesy visit by NSITF officials to his office, in Lagos.

Represented by Director of Human Resources Management, Alhaji Mustapha Zubairu, Akutah emphasized the Nigeria Shipper’s Council commitment to prioritizing staff insurance and health, citing existing policies with positive impacts on employees’ lives.

He requested NSITF to strengthen its legal framework to enable the NSC to fully benefit from the scheme.

Earlier, the Team Head, NSITF’ Adegbite Oludotun said that the organization provides compensation for insured government employees in case of injury, disability, or death during active service.

While commending the NSC for registering with the scheme, Oludotun assured adequate compensation for employee claims and safety.

By: Chinedu Wosu

Maritime

Navy Rescues Six Male, Five Female Passengers From Drowning In Rivers

Published

2 days ago

November 10, 2025

The Tide

The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) of Nigerian Navy Service NNS has rescued six male and five female passengers from a sinking speedboat along Bonny waterways in Rivers state

This is contained in a Statement by the Director of Naval Information, Commodore Ayiwuyor Adams-Aliu, and made available to newsmen, in Abuja.

Adams-Aliu said the rescue operation was carried out by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB), Bonny, along the Bonny River.

According to the statement, the boat, which departed Nembe Waterside Jetty in Port Harcourt for Coal Beach Jetty in Bonny Island, developed engine failure midstream and began taking in water near the Federal Ocean Terminal, Onne, Rivers State.

He said the swift response of the Naval patrol team under heavy rainfall prevented a major tragedy as all 11 passengers comprising six males and five females, were safely evacuated and taken to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Jetty for medical checks.

“The rescued victims were later handed over to the Marine Police for onward reunification with their families,”

The Naval spokesman said the Navy, in another Operation last wednesday, intensified crackdown on crude oil theft with the deactivation of multiple illegal refining sites in the Niger Delta.

He said personnel of FOB Escravos dismantled two sites at Obodo Omadino Community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta.

“Similarly, the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER patrol team uncovered and deactivated another site with cooking ovens, reservoirs, sacks, jerrycans, and dugout pits filled with stolen crude and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil around Bakana and Isaka areas of Rivers.

“Also, personnel of FOB Bonny dismantled a refining site at Eyamba Community in Bonny Local Government Area, while NNS DELTA patrol team deactivated another at Opumani Creek in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta,”

Adams-Aliu said the operations reflect the Navy’s renewed commitment under the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, to ensure maritime safety, protect national assets, and promote lawful economic activities.

The statement reaffirmed that the Nigerian Navy would sustain the momentum in its fight against crude oil theft and all forms of illegality within the nation’s maritime domain.

By: Chinedu Wosu