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FG Decides On Private Jetties Stevedoring Operations Soon

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The Federal Ministry
of Transport will soon come up with clear-cut modalities for stevedoring operations in private jetties.
President, National Association of Stevedoring Companies (NASC), Mr Bolaji Sunmola, stated this in an interview with The Tide source in Lagos.
NASC had complained that jetty operators did not accommodate their members to operate at the jetties approved for them.
The stevedores said it was their statutory right to be at the jetties and discharge cargo as contained in the Ports Act of 1999.
“NPA (Nigerian Ports Authority) is doing its best on this. It is the Federal Ministry of Transport that will resolve that.
“We have written both to the NPA and the Federal Ministry of Transport and actions are being taken and things are being worked out,’’ Sunmola said.
He said the association was sensitising all new comers in the stevedoring industry and members whose registration were due to ensure that they either register or renew their registration.
“This is one of our cardinal points to ensure that all members of the National Association of Stevedoring Companies are law abiding and is important that they are up-to-date,’’ the stevedore said.
He disclosed that more than 100 stevedoring companies were presently registered with the association.
The stevedore further said that the association ensured that onboard security men and tally clerks were properly engaged and remunerated.
According to him, standards are also being set for all categories of workers in the dock industry.
Sunmola, however, said the association was trying to keep within the tenets of engagement of the dockworkers.
On attempt by NPA to do away with tally clerks and onboard security men, the stevedore said meetings had been held with the management of NPA on this.
“The NPA wrote us asking us to present our papers. We held a meeting with them; we have written them and they had set up a committee.
“At the meeting, it was collectively agreed that a committee should be put in place to work out the modalities to move forward from where we are.
“We are waiting for the committee they set up to start functioning so that we now know the way forward,’’ he explained.
On wages, Sunmola explained that dockworkers’ wages were time-related, adding that the disparity was according to the bookings each worker is able to earn in a month.
The stevedore said the issue of casualisation had been subjected to a lot of interpretations, “but the whole intention is to do away with casuals so that we would have no casualisation again’’.

Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Rivers/Bayelsa States branch, Mrs Ekama E. Akpan (left) chatting with Chief Nabil Saleh (right) during press briefing on 30th Annual General meeting at the council, Port Harcourt, recently.            Photo: Egberi A. Sampson

Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Rivers/Bayelsa States branch, Mrs Ekama E. Akpan (left) chatting with Chief Nabil Saleh (right) during press briefing on 30th Annual General meeting at the council, Port Harcourt, recently. Photo: Egberi A. Sampson

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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