Business

NIMASA Boss Lauds Nigeria’s Leadership Of AMJA

Published

9 years ago

September 12, 2016

The Director-General, Ni
gerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr Dakuku Peterside, has commended the leadership role of Nigeria in African Maritime Journalists’ Association (AMJA).
Peterside made the remarks while receiving the President of AMJA, Mr Sesan Onileimo, and some members of the association in his office on Wednesday.
He said that Onileimo had showcased to the world that “Nigeria is not only endowed with natural resources but with talents’’.
“Each time we play a leadership role, is an added advantage which nobody can ignore.
“It is acknowledged continent-wide that the media in Nigeria is vibrant and have become role models for other countries in Africa.
“Nobody can deny the fact that the Nigerian media is very active and substantially represented the feelings of our people.
“I truly appreciate you. Always be conscious of the fact that you are not just president of the association but an ambassador of Nigeria,’’ Peterside said.
He said that the leadership of the association could count on the support of NIMASA.
Peterside said, “You are not just representing yourselves, you are representing the country.’’
The director-general said that the aspiration of the management of the agency in the medium-term was to be a global voice on maritime issues.
“We are regaining ourselves and doing massive reform, restructuring, repositioning of the agency to facilitate maritime trade in the sub-region and optimise the potential of the industry.
“We are automating our register of ships. We are looking at how we perform our port and flag state control functions.
“We intend to improve our reputation and enhance our efficiency in compliance with all International Maritime Organisation (IMO) instruments.
“ We just need to follow the due process and we have now become a stickler for due process,’’ Peterside said.
In his response, Onileimo said that AMJA was formed in January 2016 in Accra, Ghana, by a cross section of about 70 journalists across Africa
He said that the presidency of the association was zoned to West Africa and he was elected the president; because Nigeria had a vibrant media industry.
Onileimo said that the inauguration of the executives of the body would come up between October 10 to Oct. 11, 2016 in Lagos.
Our correspondent reports that the four –member executive committee are: President -Mr Sesan Onileimo (Nigeria); Vice President – Mr. Terry Hutson (South Africa); General Secretary – Mr. George Sunguh (Kenya); and the Treasurer – Grace Boateng (Ghana).
He said that there would be a capacity building programme on the second day of the event.
He said that heads of maritime parastatals and the minister of transportation would be invited to the occasion.
“Nigeria will benefit immensely by hosting the secretariat of AMJA.
“We solicit your assistance to make the inauguration a success,’’ the MAJA boss said.
Onileimo commended the director-general of NIMASA for turning the agency from its former state of abandonment to an agency that “understands its mandate’’.
He said that the director-general had given hope to those in the maritime industry.
Onileimo said that the NIMASA boss had also turned around the National Seafarers Development programme (NSDP).
“If it can continue this way, we can look at expansion of fleet. We had a ship registry which was barely zero. We had a Ship Acquisition and Ship Building Fund (SASBF) that was turned into a largesse.
“With your appointment, we are sure that NIMASA is in safe hands and the flag will fly high,’’

Business

PENGASSAN Tasks Multinationals On Workers’ Salary Increase

Published

8 hours ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has asked companies in the oil and gas sector to undertake urgent review of salaries of their workers in view of the prevailing harsh economic conditions in the country.

Also, the pensioners of Chevron Nigeria, under the aegis PenCoN, have lauded the President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Festus Osifo and his executive on their unrelenting efforts toward addressing pension abnormalities faced by retired workers in the oil and gas industry.

The association also appealed to the federal government to take necessary measures to check banditry and terrorist activities in parts of the country.

PENGASSAN President, Osifo who addressed journalists shortly after the National Executive Council meeting of the association in Abuja, at the weekend, said that though a lot of success has been recorded in negotiating salary reviews for its members, there are still organisations that have failed to lift their workers from the present harsh economic situation.

He said within this period, PENGASSAN has signed numerous Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) which has brought smiles to the faces of its teeming members.

“This is because we recognise that our job, literally, is how to protect the job of our members, and how to enhance their pay,” he said.

Osifo said that operators in the oil and gas sectors always go for the best qualified professionals to carry out their operations.

“So, the same way they recruit the best, we also challenge them to provide the best condition of service and provide the best remuneration.

“Yes, today, a lot of companies will have achieved successes, but there are still few that we are still discussing at their CBAs, that we are not yet there.

“We still use this opportunity to call on these companies that are still foot dragging, that are still holding back, even with the massive devaluation that has occurred in our country, that still don’t want to fix the remuneration of our members.

“We are calling on them to do the needful, because for us in PENGASSAN we will push without holding back. We will push, using everything in our arsenal, to ensure that the needful is done,” he said.

Osifo spoke of the dispute with the Dangote Refinery group, saying there are still pending issues to be resolved.

“Gentlemen of the press, during the networking session, we also looked at the issues that are plaguing some of our branches, and you know that recently, we had some challenges in Dangote Refinery and PetroChemicals Ltd.

“And within this period, since our last National Industrial Action, we have been engaging them in a lot of conversations, but the issues are not fully resolved. There are still a lot of pending issues.

“Yes, the NEC decided that, yes, let us still consummate that process by pushing those issues, by engaging in dialogue to resolve the issues, and by also engaging all our social partners and stakeholders to get the issues resolved,” he said.

Business

SEC Unveils Digital Regulatory Hub To Boost Oversight Across Financial Markets

Published

8 hours ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has launched the Regulatory Hub, a new centralized digital platform designed to streamline collaboration, strengthen oversight, and improve transparency across Nigeria’s financial and capital market ecosystem.

The Commission disclosed this in a statement posted on its website.

According to the commission, the platform connects key regulatory and security institutions including the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), enabling them to exchange information securely and in real time.

The launch of this regulatory hub comes ahead of the implementation of new tax laws in January 2026, with agencies such as the FIRS spreading its tentacles across sector to monitor compliance.

According to the SEC Director-General, Emomotimi Agama, the launch marks a significant step toward modernizing Nigeria’s regulatory framework through technology.

“The Regulatory Hub is a major step in our commitment to leverage technology for stronger regulatory synergy. By connecting regulators on one platform, we are building resilience, enhancing market integrity, and promoting investor confidence,” he said.

The SEC said the platform would help reduce bottlenecks in regulatory processes and facilitate faster, more informed decision-making across agencies.

Reinforcing the DG’s comments, the Executive Commissioner, Operations, Bola Ajomale, highlighted the operational benefits of the new system.

“The platform will significantly improve the timeliness and quality of regulatory decision-making. It provides a single window for regulators to share data, respond to requests, and collaborate seamlessly in safeguarding our financial and capital markets,” he said.

The commission believes the Regulatory Hub would support its broader mandate to strengthen investor protection, enhance market stability, and harmonize regulatory activities across the financial sector.

It urged stakeholders to initiate interest by emailing the Commission, adding that once registered, participants would be able to access the Hub and take advantage of its features.

Business

NAFDAC Decries Circulation Of Prohibited Food Items In markets …….Orders Vendors’ Immediate Cessation Of Dealings With Products

Published

8 hours ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised an alarm over the growing circulation of banned food products across markets in the country.

The agency, in a Press Release dated 6 December 2025, warned that these items including pasta, noodles, sugar and tomato paste are expressly listed on the Federal Government’s Customs Prohibition List and are illegal to import.

NAFDAC stated that the sale and distribution of such prohibited items violate national trade laws, compromise the integrity of Nigeria’s food control system, and pose significant public health risks, as they have not undergone the agency’s mandatory safety and quality evaluations.

Importers, market traders, and supermarket operators have therefore, been directed to immediately cease all dealings in these items and to notify their supply chain partners to halt transactions involving prohibited products.

The agency emphasized that failure to comply will attract strict enforcement measures, including seizure and destruction of goods, suspension or revocation of operational licences, and prosecution under relevant laws.

The statement said “The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised an alarm over the growing incidence of smuggling, sale, and distribution of regulated food products such as pasta, noodles, sugar, and tomato paste currently found in markets across the country.

“These products are expressly listed on the Federal Government’s Customs Prohibition List and are not permitted for importation”.

NAFDAC also called on other government bodies, including the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service(NIS) Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria Shippers Council, and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), to collaborate in enforcing the ban on these unsafe products.

By: Lady Godknows Ogbulu