Connect with us

Business

‘Nigeria Lacks Indigenous Participation In Cargo Handling’

Published

on

The Managing Director, Oceangate Engineering and Geophysics Ltd., Mr Taiwo Magbojuri, says Nigeria lacks indigenous participation in maritime industry, in terms of vessels, cargo, ship liners and others.
Magbojuri, a maritime expert, said in an interview with newsmen in Lagos that stakeholders in the maritime industry should ensure compliance with the Cabotage law to provide employment.
He said that Nigerian youths could not be looking for jobs when opportunities abound in the maritime industry; which was mopped up by foreign professionals at the detriment of the country’s teeming youths.
Magbojuri described the compliance with the Cabotage law which stipulates certain percentage of indigenous involvement in the control of waterways and vessel as a means of job opportunities for youths.
According to him, some, who, we believe are players in the sector, are just there to make money and not representing the interest of Nigerian youths at all.
“Many international ships coming to Nigeria does not have Nigerian personnel on board as they prefer using their nationals which is against the Cabotage law,’’ he said.
Magbojuri said that the problem of foreign vessels not employing Nigerians was not the only challenge, but that some indigenous owners of vessels were also guilty too.
“The foreigners are not only to blame but the indigenous ship owners in Nigeria are as guilty as their foreign counterparts.
“There must be a concerted effort to bridge this gap in the maritime sector as this can really drive the economy and provide employment to our youths.
“There are many areas in which the youth can work in the ships which should not be attributed to the foreigners at all. It is time to stand up for what is ours.
“The laws are there but we need to fulfil what the law says, most especially the cabotage law in order to reduce unemployment in Nigeria,’’ he said.
Magbojuri said, “the maritime industry needs a revamp in order to provide the necessary succour to the unemployed youth in Nigeria.’’
“What we want is simple. We are talking about employment opportunities for Nigerians but we are not opening up a viable industry that can absolve as many as it wishes.
“There are prospects in maritime industry but these opportunities are mopped up by foreign professionals at the detriment of the indigenous experts.
“Many vessels that come to Nigerian territorial waters do not comply with our Cabotage laws. They are filled with foreign expatriates. Even the local vessels does not have the required number of indigenous experts.
“If Nigeria sincerely wants to grow the maritime industry, foreign experts cannot do it for us. We need to train our own in becoming masters in the ships through cadetship training programmes,’’ he said.
Magbojuri said that the Nigerian maritime industry had been left behind for long and consistently controlled by foreigners who added no value to the economy.
“There was a study conducted in University of Lagos by Prof. Stephen Oyebade, in which we realised that the maritime industry has been left behind which has given gap toward its development.
“If we can synergise development in maritime sector, we will be able to employ Nigerians, not even the

Continue Reading

Business

Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

Published

on

Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

Continue Reading

Business

NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

Published

on

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
Continue Reading

Business

FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

Published

on

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
Continue Reading

Trending