Business
How Maritime Sector Fared In 2020
Activities in the Nigerian maritime sector in 2020 were greeted with mixed feelings as the sector witnessed a lot of ups and downs.
In the first quarter of 2020, the sector recorded great improvement across the nation’s seaports as maritime activities boomed. Container traffics across the nation’s six seaports were on the increase due to local and foreign patronage by investors.
The ports within the period recorded high volume in foreign vessels. In the two ports in Rivers State – Onne and Rivers Port Complex, for instance, the volume of container traffic was so high that importers and clearing agents were smiling to the banks. It also generated huge revenue for the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the government.
The outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic in the first quarter of the year, however, halted the progress being made in the sector. For nearly four months, activities at the ports ceased, while move-ment of vessels and personnel were restricted due to the lockdown imposed by the government as a result of the pandemic.
In a nutshell, the sector was confronted by three major challenges that generally hampered socio-economic development in the country. These are piracy, Corona-virus pandemic and EndSARS protests across the country.
An x-ray of the above challenges would assist in knowing how the maritime industry feared in 2020.
Piracy:
Piracy constituted one of the major setbacks to the maritime industry in 2020. The sector witnessed a decline in operations due to incessant attacks on ship owners by sea robbers. The menace became a daily norm in the indu-stry, scaring away foreign investors and reducing investments in the sector.
Many stakeholders, investors and vessel owners abandoned the nation’s ports and relocated to other African countries for safety of their crews and vessels.
Over 138 crew members, vessel owners and other personnel were kidnapped in the Gulf of Guinea by rampaging pirates in the year under review. Many died in the process while huge ransom were paid to rescue some from the hands of hoodlums.
Here in Rivers State, over 15 persons, including passengers, were hacked down on their way to Bonny, Andoni, Bille and other riverine communities with their valuables worth millions of Naira carted away by sea hoodlums.
Sea robbers within the year under review, also stole over 16 speed boat engines and other personal items, frustrating operators to do business and rendering the sector unproductive.
This situation forced many foreign ship owners to hire at a huge cost the services of the Nigerian Navy to escort their vessels to the points of destination.
Coronavirus:
Coronavirus is a global pandemic that wreaked havoc on the socio-economic activities of the entire globe. Beside causing death, it led to the closure of industries and restriction of goods and services.
The maritime sector had its own share of the adverse effects of the pandemic. Due to lull in maritime activities, many dockworkers lost their jobs, while seafarers, ship owners, crew members and vessels were stranded at sea for months. Some were quarantined and many lost their lives to the pandemic. Vessels laden with cargoes were suspended on high sea while most perishable goods got spoilt.
#EndSARS Protests:
The EndSARS protests that rocked the nation in the month of October affected operations at the nation’s ports. For instance, the headquarters of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in Lagos was set ablaze by hoodlums that hijacked the End-SARS protests in Lagos. The attack led to the destruction and looting of some of the NPA’s valuables worth millions of Naira. Over N807 million had been earmarked to rehabilitate the port.
Maritime activities were also disrupted in all the six seaports in the country including Apapa and Tin Can ports, Lagos; Onne and Rivers ports in Rivers State; Warri and Calabar ports, thereby depriving the sector a huge billions of naira.
Any Hope For The Sector In 2021?
Notwithstanding the numerous challenges that confronted maritime industry in 2020, there is a ray of hope for the sector in the coming year going by several efforts being made to reposition the sector.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government had, earlier in 2020, approved the construction of Port Har-court to Maiduguri Eastern narrow gauge railway with new branch lines and trans shipment facilities to boost and facilitate maritime operations in the country.
Approval has also been given for the construction of deep seaport at Bonny, Rivers State by the Federal Government at a cost of over $46.924.369 to boost operations in the sector.
Meanwhile, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has commenced the trial movement of containers from Onne Port to Onitsha River Port by barges with the aim of decongesting Onne Port and boosting maritime activities in the eastern zone.
In a bid to curb insecurity on the waterways, the Nigerian Navy is planning to acquire two warships to tackle piracy in the Gulf of Guinea in 2021 and make the water more navigable and safer for ship owners.
In recognition of the leadership role being played by Nigeria in tackling insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) through its Secretary General, Kitsch Lum, wrote a commendation letter to the Federal Government through IMO Director, Maritime Safety Division, Heike Daggim.
There are also good news from the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) through its African Regional Secretary, Muhammed Safiyanu, that Nigerian seafarers would henceforth be assisted to secure jobs with foreign vessels.
Another window of opportunity for the sector to bounce back was the training of over 500 dockworkers and seafarers by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIM-ASA) across the nation’s ports to boost maritime activities in the country.
The NPA has also earmarked over N807 million for the rehabilitation and repair of the damaged facilities at the NPA headquarters during the EndSARS protests in Lagos.
It is also noteworthy that the West African Containers Terminal (WACT) has acquired two mobile Harbour Cranes at Onne Port to boost marine operations.
There is no gainsaying the fact that all these efforts are geared towards putting the maritime sector on a good footing in the Year 2021, beginning from today. But the success of these efforts in the maritime sector depends on the political will and sincerity of all the players in the sector, especially the government.
By: Chinedu Wosu
The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) says it has registered 160 Port stakeholders into its Regulated Port Service Provider and Users platform since the initiative began in 2023.
Executive Secretary, NSC, Mr Pius Akutah, made the disclosure on the sideline of a sensitisation programme by the commission for port operators in Lagos, with the theme, “Regulated Port Service Provider and Users”.
Represented by the Director, Consumer Affairs, Chief Cajetan Agu, Akutah emphasised the significance of the programme for stakeholders.
He said the sensitisation programme was the second edition after its commencement during the last quarter of 2023.
The Secretary said the 160 registered port operators consist of agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, individual port users as well as service providers.
“We invited the ports stakeholders for enlightening them on the processes for online registration of Regulated Port Service Provider and Users.
“We have demonstrated to them how to register and how to make payment and we were able to present before them the various categories of the registration.
“The rate of payment is also in the registration. The payment of each group depends on the operation. A shipper pays N30,000, terminal operators and shipping companies pay N300,000, truckers also pay N30,000, while some pay N50,000 and N100,000.
“The Council was able to intimate them on the benefits, because port users benefit more as we help to interface on reducing port charges from time to time”, Akutah said.
He said that there was a need to continue to work with port operators to stop delays and eliminate high costs to make the port efficient.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Stakeholders, Service, NSC, Mr Celestine Akujobi, said “the sensitisation exercise was important for the council to enable us bring all the port stakeholders together”.
According to him, this is to avoid challenges during the implementation of the council’s responsibilities.
“By the time we introduce sanctions on defaulters, no operators will complain that he or she is not aware of the registration.
“I’m happy with the turnout of this sensitisation. This shows that the operators are well informed of the statutory friction of the council as the port regulator.
“The final implementation will commence as soon as we discover that all the operators have keyed into the portal.
“We are engaging other ports across the country and we’re hopeful that before the last quater of 2024, the council will implement sanctions on defaulting operators”, Akujobi said.
Earlier, Vice Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwards (NAGAFF), Dr Ifeanyi Emoh, said port challenges were enormous, adding that they originated from some of the government agencies.
Emoh urged the council to look into regulating other government agencies, so that there could be a window through which they can collect port charges collectively instead of indiscriminately.
By: Chinedu Wosu
Chivita| Hollandia (CHI Limited) leading fruit juice and value-added dairy manufacturer in Nigeria has rewarded its long standing distributors at the recently held 2024 Distributor Conference. The event with the theme, “Break Boundaries Exceed Expectations” served as a platform to recognise and reward the exceptional contribution of the distributors and wholesalers who play a critical role in Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) success and business goals for the year.
The Distributor Conference was held in two sessions. While the morning session featured keynote addresses, industry insights and brand immersion experience, the evening session was a cultural display of elegance and funfair that culminated in the award presentation and recognition of the contribution the trade partners made to the company in the 2023 year under review.
A key highlight of the event was the award ceremony which acknowledged outstanding trade partners in various regions across the country. The awards recognized commitment, dedication, and outstanding performance in areas of sales growth, brand promotion, and market expansion.
Eelco Weber, Managing Director, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), stated that the company’s success story is incomplete without the strong partnerships it has built with trade partners. “Today, we celebrate not only the achievements, but the collaborative spirit that has made our growth possible” he said.
Bola Arotiowa, Chief Commercial Officer, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), in his statement revealed that, the event which was first of its kind will continue to be an annual meeting to enable the company work more closely with its distributors, share insights and action points, help the trade partners familiarize themselves with the company’s goals and objectives for each year, and serve as a driver for mutual success.
“Our distributors are the backbone of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited). Their relentless efforts in distributing our products, promoting our brands, and expanding our reach across the nation is truly commendable. As the bridge between us and our valued consumers, it is very important to reward their hard work and dedication for being an essential part of the Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) family. Together, we will continue to deliver great products to our conusmers which in turn will deliver value to them”, Mr. Arotiowa added.
Speaking at the conference, HajiyaBilikisuSaida, Chief Executive Officer of Smabirm Nigeria Limited, who won the Outstanding Distributor of the Year in North 1 region, and got a reward of two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) products expressed delight at the company’s recognition, and stated that the awards served as a way to inspire distributors to do more and put in more effort, which in turn would help both the distributors and the company to grow.
Other outstanding performance distributors of the year rewarded with a two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) stock include, Sunny Chuks Limited for East 1 region, MRS FA & Sons Limited for East 2 region, Hussakas Ventures for North 2 region, Rookee 1388 Ventures for Lagos 1 region, Pik N Pil Ventures for Lagos 2 region, FaithJoe Event Management Limited for West 1 region, and Progress Family Nigeria Enterprise for West 2 region.
The annual Distributors Conference aims to strengthen the bond between Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) and its trade partners. This collaborative approach fosters mutual growth and ensures the continued success of the brands in the Nigerian market.
A global leader in insurance and asset management, AXA Mansard, has supported three female-owned MSMEs with business grants totaling 1.4 million to boost their operations.
This, the company said, is part of its commitment to women and the Medium, Small, and Medium-scale Enterprise (MSME) sector in the country.
The three businesses were successful at the International Women’s Day Pitch Competition, organised in partnership with SME 100 Africa in Lagos.
According to the Head of Marketing, AXA Mansard, Olusesan Ogunyooye, the competition, which is aimed at supporting female entrepreneurs in Nigeria, “is another way AXA is demonstrating its commitment to the causes of women and stimulating the MSME sector in Nigeria”.
The business pitch competition received numerous entries from women across different sectors, but after a rigorous selection process, shortlisted participants were selected to participate in the competition.
Ogunyooye said “the programme provided a unique opportunity for women from various works and socio-economic classes to showcase their innovative ideas and solutions in sectors such as food, tech, fashion, and fragrance, creating an atmosphere filled with excitement, enthusiasm, and a strong sense of community”.
He stressed the importance of investing in women, saying it is not just the right thing to do, but also aligns with AXA’s purpose of acting for human progress.
He explained that AXA believes the future of women should not be at risk, hence investing in their economic empowerment is a crucial part
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