Business

FOREX: Reps Direct NPA, NIMASA To Clarify Charges

Published

9 years ago

February 27, 2017

The House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Review of Pump Price of Petrol last Friday directed the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to clarify their charges in foreign currency.
The Chairman of the Committee, Mr Raphael Igbokwe, gave the directive during the committee’s visit to NPA and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) headquarters in Lagos, Friday.
Igbokwe said representatives of both organisations should be present at the Executive briefing in Abuja for clarification.
He said that operators of wet cargo had complained that inability to access dollars led to deals with had multiple effects on petroleum products.
According to him, there is need to justify why NPA and NIMASA charged most of their levies in dollars.
The Tide source reports that NPA charges are: Lease and Vessel Fees; payment for Cargo and Shipping Dues; payment for Provisional Bill and Concession Fees; and payment for Pilotage and Royalties.
Reports says that NIMASA charges 3 per cent freight bench mark.
Igbokwe said that among the challenges faced by the shipping companies was that Nigerian waters were not deep enough to accommodate bigger vessels which had room outside the country
He said that inability of NPA to create room for mother vessels to berth petroleum products had lead to midstream discharge, illegal bunkering and malpractices which gave room for some operators to be short-changing the government.
“There was need for NIMASA to improve on security of Nigerian waterways to enable more vessels and bigger ones to berth at the port,’’ Igbokwe said.
He said if bigger vessels containing petroleum products berth at the ports, this would stop operators of ship- to-ship discharge; and not discharging accurate quantity to the supplier or marketers in the supply chain.
“We are looking at NIMASA and NPA to reconcile some charges they made in dollars; to stop the increase in price of dollars as well as offshore discharge.
“From our findings, petroleum products operators disclosed that 80 per cent of vessels bringing petrol engaged in offshore discharge before bringing the products it into our water with smaller vessels.
“The operators also said that the processing had created double charges for them which had cost effect on the consumers.
“The mandate bestowed on the committee is for us to brief Nigerians time to time on how their resources are being managed, ‘’ Igbokwe said.
The Managing Director of NPA, Ms Hadiza Usman, said that the authority was working hard to tackle finance and technical charges affecting the operations of petroleum products.
The Executive Director, Marine and Operations of NPA, Dr Sekonte Davis said there was a directive by the Federal Government through the Minister of Transportation to grant 50 per cent rebate since 2009.
Davis said that the rebate was revived in 2016 when the Federal Government removed subsidy from petroleum products.
He said that NPA subsidised N3.5 billion between 2009 to 2016.
According to him the rebate had affected operations of NPA during those periods under review.
Sekonte said that dredging took almost 70 per cent of the authority’s expenditure which was done by International companies to enable constant dredging of the ports.
“NPA is partnering with international companies such as the Lagos Channel Management, Bonny Channel Company and Calabar Channel Management.
“The dredging company provides technology while NPA provides money to carry out the dredging operations on Nigerian Ports.
“There is a limitation on dredging the Nigerian Ports which could only accommodate 13 metres to avoid environmental hazards.
“The establishment of deep seaports would enable mother vessels to berth into Nigerian ports.
He said that the present management of the authority had deemed it fit to engage in continuous collaboration with all stakeholders to enable more vessels to visit Nigerian ports.
The executive director said NPA gives 30 per cent rebate to Ship To Ship operation adding that both their dollars and naira charges goes into Single Treasury’s Account (TSA) of the Federal Government.
He said that NPA would collaborate with other agencies to arrive at an appropriate calculation to determine NPA charges to make Nigerian ports a preferred destination and accessible for wet cargos.
Sekonte said that “shipping is an international business and brought into the country a lot of dollars.
“The authority pays all dues to international organisations on regulation control in dollars,’’ the executive director said..
He urged the Chief Economic Adviser to President to assist the authority to inform the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to grant the shipping companies access to their dollars on Treasury Single Account (TSA) to reduce time of doing business.
In his response, the Director, Legal Services of NIMASA, Mr Suleiman Abdulsalam, representing the Director-General, Dr Dakuku Peterside, said the agency was saddled with the responsibility of ensuring safe and secured shipping.
Peterside said that NIMASA engaged in some international obligations on Port State Control for safety of maritime environment.
He said that recently the agency apprehended a petroleum product vessel which was trying to divert from its initial destination from Nigeria to Durban and Philadelphia due to the surveillance system of the agency.

Business

Ban On Satchet Alcoholic Drinks: FG To Loss N2trillion, says FOBTOB

Published

4 days ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

Ahead the December 31 effective date for enforcement of the ban on alcoholic drinks and beverages in PET or glass bottles below 200ml, the Food, Beverage, and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) has warned that Nigeria risks losing more than N2 trillion in investments.

The union urged the federal government to reverse the planned ban, cautioning that the Senate’s directive to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) would trigger severe socioeconomic consequences across the industry.

Speaking at a Press Conference, in Lagos, the President of FOBTOB, Jimoh Oyibo, said repealing the directive would prevent massive job losses and protect the country from economic disruption.

“Repealing the order would avert the grave repercussions that would most definitely follow the ban, especially by saving approximately 5.5 million jobs, both direct and indirect,” he said.

Oyibo appealed to the Senate to invite stakeholders to a public hearing, insisting that all parties must be allowed to present their positions before any decision is made.

“For a fair hearing and to demonstrate good faith, the Senate should invite relevant stakeholders to a Public Hearing to ‘hear the other side’ and be adequately informed to make an informed decision,” he said.

The union leader urged the Senate to carefully review and endorse the validated National Alcohol Policy, describing it as a multi-sectoral framework developed after last year’s public hearing, when the initial call for the ban was raised.

He urged the lawmakers to consider the entire value chain in the alcoholic beverage industry, including formal and informal workers and legitimate local manufacturers, before approving any enforcement.

Highlighting the economic implications, Oyibo said close to N2 trillion invested in machinery and raw materials could be wasted, while over 500,000 direct workers and an estimated five million indirect workers, including suppliers, distributors, marketers, and logistics operators, could lose their livelihoods.

He said “Nearly N2 trillion worth of investments in machinery and raw materials could be lost. Indigenous Nigerian manufacturers risk total collapse, discouraging future investments.

“Smuggling and the circulation of unregulated alcoholic products may skyrocket, worsening public health dangers. Government tax revenue could decline sharply as factories shut down or scale back operations.

“With rising unemployment and no safety nets, this ban will plunge families into poverty. The very children the policy claims to protect may be forced out of school if their parents lose their jobs”.

Business

Estate Developer Harps On Real Estate investment

Published

4 days ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

A Canadian based Nigerian Estate Developer, Andrew Enofie, has said that diversification of investment into the real estate sector remains the key to business sustainability.

Enofie said this during the launch of The Golden Gate investments, in Port Harcourt, recently.

He said real estate sector has always remain stable during period of inflations, adding that diversification into the sector would ensure that businesses never loose out during such periods.

He also called on Nigerian businessmen to put their money into the Canadian estate industry with the view to reaping maximum benefit.

According to him, Canada has one of the lowest inflation rate in the world and Nigerian businessmen can reap benefits by putting their monies into the Canadian estate sector.

Enofie said his company, with many years of experience in the real estate sector, can assist Nigerian businessmen with the quest to acquire property in Canada.

According to him, investors have more opportunities to diversify their funds, saying “it also open doors for investors to invest in the Canadian real estate market.

“With the launch of this fund, we are strategically positioned to navigate current market dynamics,r3 rising demand, shifting rates and evolving economic trends, while focusing on sustainable growth”, he said.

Also speaking, an investor, Mike Ifeanyi, also called on investors to invest in real estate.

He commended the company for its pledged to assist Nigerian businessmen willing to invest in Canada, but added that the whole thing must be transparently done inorder to avoid fraud.

Also speaking, Chukwudi Kelvin, yet another investor, described the event as an eye opener, stressing that time has come for Nigerian investors to go into the Canadian estate sector.

By: John Bibor,/Isaiah Blessing/Umunakwe Ebere/Afini Awajiokikpom

Business

FG Reaffirms Nigeria-First Policy To Boost Local Industry, Expand Non-oil Exports

Published

4 days ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its continued commitment to driving Nigeria-First policy aimed at encouraging local manufacturers and improving the economy through the non-export sector.

This is as the National Assembly has revealed that a bill for establishing a Weights and Measures Centre is advancing.

Delivering the keynote address at the Opening Ceremony of the 2025 Nigerian International Trade Fair, in Lagos, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, (FMITI), Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, said that government would continue to promote locally made goods.

Oduwole stated that the fair was not only an opportunity to showcase the best of Nigerian products but ensuring that the country continues to accelerate its non-oil exports under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The minister noted that the government’s reforms are working and demands a lot of support from all stakeholders.

In her words, “Already, our non-oil exports have grown by 14 per cent. Our exports to the rest of Africa was the fastest growing at 24 per cent last year Q1, year-on-year, CBN released the results at the end of Q1.

“Now, this shows us that our goods are in demand across Africa. Earlier this year, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment opened an air cargo corridor in partnership with Uganda Air, and we mapped 13 Southern and Eastern African countries who want Nigerian products. We understood that they want our fashion, they want our light manufacturing, our food, our snacks, plantain chips, chin chin.

“They also want our zobo, our shea butter, beauty products. The things we take for granted here, our slippers, our hair wigs, are things that are in demand across the continent. And so we’re here to support our Nigerian exhibitors and to welcome our friends across Africa and across the world.

“Exhibitors, buyers who are interested in purchasing, we’re interested in growing these businesses. So a business that is a small business this year should be a medium-sized business in the next five years. Each trade fair has its uses, each trade fair has its conveners, and really, to be honest, there cannot be too many.

“This trade fair, traditionally, has been the largest in the country, and we want to bring it back to its former glory. There’s nothing like a competition.

On her part, the Executive Director, Lagos International Trade Fair Complex Management Board, Vera Safiya Ndanusa, said the board would, in the coming months, champion structured and modernised regulatory frameworks for trade fairs and exhibitions.

She stressed that reviving the Tafawa Balewa Complex was part of a broader mission to strengthen confidence in the nation’s trade infrastructure, while stimulating industrial activity and showcasing the enormous potential of the nation’s citizens.

“Most importantly, we remain the only agency in Nigeria expressly mandated by law to organise trade fairs, and we intend to restore that statutory responsibility to the prominence it deserves ensuring coherence, quality, and national alignment in trade events across the country.

“We will be deepening our engagement with NACCIMA, whose partnership has historically anchored the success of organised trade in Nigeria, while also strengthening ties with ECOWAS, continental business groups, and international partners who share our vision for a more integrated African marketplace.

“In the coming months, we will champion a more structured and modernised regulatory framework for trade fairs and exhibitions, one that protects stakeholders, ensures standards, and positions Nigeria as a credible and well organised destination for regional and continental commerce”, she stated.

She noted that as Africa embraces the promise of the African Continental Free Trade Area, a new momentum was building across the continent.

“For Nigeria, AfCFTA is not just an economic framework; it is a pathway to industrialisation, job creation, and intra-African collaboration.

“This complex must play a central role in that journey. We intend to make this fairground a primary entry point for African trade, a marketplace where producers and buyers from across the continent meet, a logistics hub connected to regional value chains, a centre for cross-border SME activity, and a launchpad for Nigerian businesses looking to expand beyond our borders.

“To achieve this, we are intentionally expanding access to markets physically, economically, and digitally. We are working to make participation more affordable for SMEs, women-led enterprises, and young entrepreneurs. We are improving mobility within and around the complex. A truly vibrant trade ecosystem must be inclusive, and inclusivity begins with access,” she stated.

Chairman, House Committee on Commerce, Ahmed Munir, commended Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment, ED LITF and her team, for promoting the platform as a veritable marketplace of ideas, innovation, and partnership.

He said the event was a clear reflection of the economic agenda of the current administration, supported by Speaker Rt. Hon.Abbas Tajudeen.

According to him, “The House of Representatives recognises that the engine of our economy is the private sector, particularly our Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which contribute nearly 50 per cent to our GDP and employ the vast majority of our citizens.

“To create the competitive environment they need, the National Assembly has been working assiduously to pass and amend vital legislation to enhance the Ease of Doing Business by Streamlining regulatory bottlenecks and reinforcing essential infrastructure to make business operations simpler and more predictable.”

He stressed that as policy makers they would continue to promote the “Nigeria First” Policy through robust legislative support, ensuring that government ministries and agencies prioritise locally manufactured goods in all public procurement processes. “This is our clear statement: We must buy Nigerian to build Nigeria.

“Also to ensure quality and standards, the bill for establishing a Weights and Measures Centre is advancing. Quality is not optional; rather, it is the key to consumer trust and international competitiveness,” he said.