Maritime

Stakeholders Want Fewer Agencies At Ports

Published

13 years ago

October 12, 2012

Some stakeholders in the maritime sector have called for the
reduction in the number of government agencies at the seaports and a review of
some obsolete maritime polices.

The stakeholders who disclosed this to newsmen in Lagos
recently said that duplication of duties by government agencies at seaports
were some of the issues in the maritime sector.

Our correspondent recalls that the Federal Government, on October, 2011, ordered the withdrawal of services of eight agencies at the seaports and reduced the number from 14 to six.

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of Finance and
Coordinating Minister for the Economy, gave the order during an inspection of
the Lagos ports by the National Economic Team.

The minister said that ports’ operations must be streamlined
to enhance efficiency and reduce costs as obtained in developed economies.

President of the Institute of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria,
Mr Zebulon Ikokide, told newsmen that the bane of the maritime sector was too
many supervisory agencies at the ports.

“There are too many agencies in the Nigerian maritime
sector. Even though the number has been reduced, those left are still hindering
the progress of the sector.

“If you go to the ports, you will find the NPA, Nigeria Customs
Service, NAFDAC and NIMASA,’’ Ikokide said.

President of National Association of Government Approved
Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Mr Eugene Nweke,
urged players in the maritime sector to initiate bills to move the
industry forward.

“We want to see a situation where bills are passed and
signed into laws devoid of vested interests.

“The Ports and Harbour Bill should be facilitated and made
to work and the National Transport Commission Bill should also see the light of
the day.

“The nation cannot boast of being a maritime nation when it
does not have its own shipping fleet,” he said.

Mr Olu Akinsoji, a marine engineer, told newsmen that one of
the good steps taken by government was the draft legislation on unlawful acts
against ships.

Akinsoji said that the nation would be able to address the
issues of piracy and armed robbery in Nigerian waters if the legislation was
passed through the National Assembly and appropriate actions taken.

“The current procedure adopted by NIMASA against armed
robbery and piracy is a fire-brigade approach.

“How do you arrest and prosecute offenders, when you don’t
have the legislation in place in line with international standard’’ Akinsoji
asked.

Dr Boniface Aniebonam, Founder of National Association of
Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), advised the Federal Government
to re-establish the Nigerian National Shipping Line.

He said that the nation was losing a lot of revenue to
foreign shipping lines.

Aniebonam said that some of the laws governing the port
industry like the Customs and Excise Management Act should be reviewed.

“We have not made efforts to join the global trend in
logistics management. This means that the multi-modal transport system is not
operational in Nigeria.

“ The ports must be linked with the rails where cargoes can
move from conventional ports to the terminals,’’ he said.

Aniebonam said that government had not achieved the
objectives of the ports concession programme.

“With the concession policy, the cost of doing business in
the ports should have dropped by 30 per cent in the first year.

“The concession policy of government is supposed to reduce
the cost of doing business in our ports, but what do we have today.

“The cost of doing business at the ports is higher and this
has not created opportunities for competition with the neighbouring ports,’’ he
said.

Another issue which the stakeholders, especially freight
forwarders, are worried about is the introduction of transaction fees by the
Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).

CRFFN has imposed transaction fees of N1, 000 on 20 foot
container and N2, 000 on 40 foot container a move President of ANLCA, Mr
Olayiwola Shittu, is opposed to.

Maritime

NSC Decries Police Interferences With Cargoes At Seaports

Published

3 days ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has decried interferences with cargoes by police at the seaports.

NCS said such action has disrupted cargo dwell time, increased demurrage and storage charges payable by consignees.

Executive Secretary, NSC, Dr Pius Akutah, made this known at a one-day training programme for officers of the Maritime Police and other security stakeholders, in Lagos.

The training with the the theme: “Facilitating Port Efficiency: The Strategic Role of the Police,” was organised by the NSC in collaboration with the Maritime Police Command of the Nigeria Police Force.

Represented by the Director, Regulatory Services Department, NSC, Mrs Margaret Ogbonnah, Akutah said that police interference with cargoes had also led to increase in the cost of doing business in Nigerian ports.

He noted that several reports brought to the attention of the NSC by stakeholders pointed to incessant interference in the cargo clearance processes, placement of detention orders on duly cleared cargoes, thereby barring its exit from the port terminals.

Akutah said that port operators, especially personnel of shipping line agencies and terminals, also complained of intimidation by the police officers, who, in turn, claim that they are acting on intelligence reports.

The Secretary explained that the council had on several occasions carried out investigations on the matter to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the claims.

He said that intimidation of ports operators had in most cases been confirmed, adding that these practices were carried out by various police formations without the knowledge of the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).

“This development, therefore, led to robust engagement by the council with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to put a stop to these practices and to ensure adherence to process in matters of container detention and other port related issues.

“As a result, the Assistant Inspector General AIG, Maritime Police Command notified key stakeholders vide a letter dated Dec. 11, 2018 about its decision to collectively streamline the plethora of letters being issued by various un-authorised persons on behalf of the Police.

“The IGP also directed all key stakeholders to disregard any correspondence without the signature of the AIG or officers nominated by him.

“Together, we have achieved quite a lot, although we cannot rest on the past achievements because some of these infractions still occur either deliberately or due to ignorance on the part of the officers involved.

” Our main focus has to be firmly on attaining international best practices”.

“In essence the meeting between the NSC and the Inspector General of Police; the issue of capacity building for officers of the maritime police was discussed in order to enlighten and educate them on the nitty-gritty of port operations and the role of the police,” Akutah said.

Also Speaking, Assistant Inspector General of Police, Chinedu Oko, represented by the Assistant Commissioner of Police Administration, Ports Authority Police (Western) Command, Olufikayo Fawole, explained that the Maritime Police, was a specialised arm of the Nigeria Police Force.

Fawole said that the maritime police played a critical role in securing maritime assets, mitigating threats, combating cargo-related crimes, preventing pilferage and vandalism, and ensuring the smooth flow of legitimate trade.

“Our mandate is not just to enforce the law but also to protect the economic lifeblood of our nation.

“Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global maritime economy is influenced greatly by the level of safety, predictability, and confidence that stakeholders experience at our ports.

“This is why continuous training is essential. The operational landscape is evolving, new technologies, changing criminal patterns, multimodal logistics, and international compliance requirements all demand that our officers become smarter, more proactive, better informed, and better equipped.

“Through this programme, participants will gain valuable insights into modern port operations, cargo handling procedures, supply-chain vulnerabilities, and best practices for promoting trade facilitation while maintaining robust security,.

The AIG pledged the police’ continuous commitment in ensuring secure port system, adding that the force would contribute more to national prosperity, economic stability, and Nigeria’s overall competitiveness in global trade.

Maritime

NIMASA :FG Appoints Iyelolu As Registrar Of Ships

Published

3 days ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Chief Adegboyega Oyetola, has approved the appointment of Barrister Adenike Adeyele Iyelolu as the Registrar of Ships

for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Her appointment, which is for a four-year tenure, follows the recommendation of the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola.

In line with the NIMASA Act 2007, the Registrar of Ships will report directly to the Director General for the effective administration of the Nigerian Ship Registry.

The Act provides that “the Registrar of Ships shall, with the approval of the Minister, be appointed by the Director General from among the staff of the Agency.”

According to a press statement issued by the Head of Public Relations, NIMASA, Edward Osagie, the new Registrar who is currently a Deputy Director in the employ of NIMASA is an accomplished legal and maritime governance professional with over twenty-five (25) years of post-call experience spanning maritime and legal practice, arbitration, procurement, contract administration, corporate governance, and institutional leadership amongst others.

Barr. Iyelolu’s appointment comes following the retirement of the former Registrar of Ships, Barr. Tajudeen Giwa, after years of commendable service.

Maritime

Cargo Tracking System’ II Save Nigeria N900bn In Revenue Leakages ……SEREC

Published

3 days ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

The Sea Empowerment and Research Centre (SEREC) says implementing the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN) will save Nigeria an estimated N900 billion annually in revenue leakages.

Head of Research at the Centre, Dr Eugene Nweke, stated this in a document on its policy commentary on

the Urgent Imperative of Implementing the ICTN in Nigeria, and made available to newsmen.

Nweke said that the system, when implemented, could cut cargo clearance time by 25 to 35 per cent and curb trade malpractices by 40 per cent within 18 months, boosting Nigeria’s competitiveness and credibility in the regional maritime economy.

The Director described ICTN as a trade facilitation system aimed at improving transparency, security and efficiency in Nigeria’s ports.

According to him, it enables pre-arrival processing of cargo data for faster clearance, reduces demurrage and documentation time, curbs illicit trade, closes revenue leakages and enhances Nigeria’s competitiveness in global maritime trade.

He disclosed that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, is the lead agency implementing the ICTN.

“The NSC would do it in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)”

He expressed concern that in spite of the Federal Executive Council approval of the implementation of the ICTN in 2023, it was yet to be implemented.

“Without this pre-verification system, Nigeria’s trade regulators would continue to operate in a reactive intelligence model, allowing room for cargo concealment, under-declaration and falsified manifests.

“Experts estimated that the delay in implementation could lead to an estimated annual loss from non standardised cargo declarations and transshipment concealment between N800 billion and N1.2 trillion.

“Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Angola recorded an 18 to 22 per cent rise in customs revenue and a 30 per cent drop in port clearance delays within two years of adopting ICTN.

“The countries also saw a 40 per cent fall in false declarations during the same period.

“The delayed implementation could also affect the smooth implementation of the National Single Window (NSW) projected for the first quarter of 2026 and the modernisation drive of the Nigerian Customs Service,” he explained.

Nweke added that with customs modernisation advancing rapidly and the NSC approaching rollout, Nigeria must not operationalise these systems without ICTN integration or risk reinforcing data fragmentation.

“Government must recognise ICTN not as a competing system, but as a strategic enabler of all other reforms.

“The ICTN should serve as the data feeder layer into the National Single Window, Customs modernisation and port efficiency frameworks,“ he stated.

The Director also noted that although various digital modernisation efforts were underway in the maritime sector, the ICTN remained the key missing link needed to fully integrate trade intelligence across the system.

He emphasised that the continued delay in ICTN deployment poses critical national risks, including revenue leakage, national security exposure, reputational deficit and a fragmented digital ecosystem.

“The absence of verifiable pre-shipment data weakens Nigeria’s ability to detect high-risk or illicit consignments (arms, drugs, waste cargo, etc.) before arrival.

“Nigeria remains among the few major trading nations in West and Central Africa without an operational electronic cargo note system, affecting investor confidence in its maritime sector.

“It has also impacted the country’s compliance ratings under the World Customs Organisation (WCO) SAFE Framework of Standards and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) guidelines”, Nweke said.

By: Chinedu Wosu