Business

LASWA Rescues 17 In Boat Accident

Published

4 years ago

November 1, 2021

Barely a month after a ferry passenger boat capsized in Lagos Island enroute Ikorodu, another boat with 17 passengers on board has capsized.
The incident occurred last Saturday, 20 minutes after the privately owned boat identified as GT Water Line 4 took off at Ebute-EroenrouteIkorodu Terminal at about 5.15pm.
The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) confirmed this in a statement signed by its General Manager, Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, saying the boat left Ebute-Ero at about 5.15pm with 17 passengers onboard including 14 males and three females.
He said LASWA Patrol team and some other boat operators were swift to respond to the distress call from the boat, thereby rescuing all 17 passengers onboard including two minors.
He said, “apparently all passengers were wearing life jackets which aided the safe rescue of all onboard.
“The boat and it’s captain have been taken to custody for further investigation to unravel the cause of the accident and necessary actions.
“To forestall a reoccurrence of such incident, LASWA has once again warned all boat operators to always adhere strictly to safety measures while advising all waterways users to ensure the use of life jackets at all time when boarding a boat “, he added.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has engaged stakeholders and experts for the development of the State Waterways Safety Code in order to make the state’s waterways safer.
Director-General, Lagos
Sate Safety Commission (LSSC) LanreMojola, said the safety code would also reduce incident of boat mishaps in the state.
Mojola spoke during an event organised by the Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC) in conjunction with LASWA in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Mojola said development of safety code on waterways was key to ensure that the waterways were safe in the state.
According to him, “Based on the prevalence of the 21st economy, it is imperative to develop a safety code for sustainability of journeys on waterways and as well entrench people’s confidence as far as traveling on water is concerned”.
Also speaking, General Manager, LASWA, Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, noted that without a definite waterways safety code, it would not be easy to have a smooth and safe journey on waterways.
Emmanuel called on relevant stakeholders at the meeting to fashion out relevant and important codes that would make waterways safer for all Lagosians.
He said the development of Lagos State Waterways Safety Code would no doubt contribute significantly to the operation of various businesses on waterways.
The manager said the code would also reduce the influx of unwanted occupants from labelling the waterways as unsafe, but would further rejig the confidence of people in waterways transportation in the state.

By: Boye Salau & Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

NPA Assures On Staff Welfare

Published

4 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

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

Business

ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

Published

4 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

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

Business

NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement

Published

4 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

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