Business
Ocean Surge Threatens $4.5bn ECOWAS Facility
The Customs Area Controller of Seme Border, Comptroller Dera Nnadi, has lamented that the multi-billion dollar Nigeria-Republic of Benin joint border control facility at Seme is under threat.
According to the Command’s helmsman, unless urgent measures are adopted to remedy the situation, raging ocean surge might sweep away the $4.5billion Seme Border control modern facility built by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Donated by the European Union (EU) to the ECOWAS and commissioned in 2018, the border control facility is jointly operated by Nigeria and Republic of Benin, and houses all the security agencies from both countries that operate at the Seme Border.
Nnadi made this disclosure while briefing members of the Senate ad-hoc Committee on Customs and Excise during an oversight visit recently at Seme Border Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Nnadi, said there was need for urgent measures to address the menace of ravaging ocean surge at Nigeria’s end of the sprawling border control facility.
According to him, one of the residential buildings in the barracks area of the command has already completely gone under the waters, while a second building is at the verge of being submerged due to the sea surge.
“No one knows when and how the next surge would happen, it could be when people are asleep.
“You can imagine the quantum of loss in terms of lives and property that could occur if such a disaster happens at night. My own official residence is about six metres away from the second building that is at the verge of being submerged, so you can imagine how close the surge is to us.
“This is why urgent remedial measures are required in the interim while efforts are made to address the menace on a more permanent and sustainable basis”, Nnadi said.
He listed other challenges at the command to include poor public power supply to the border facility, saying that there has only been power supply to the area twice since January, a development that negatively impacts cost of operation, especially given the increase in the pump price of petroleum products.
The Tide gathered that several letters had been written to the Managing Director of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), which is in charge of supplying public power to the area.
Meanwhile, none of the letter has changed the situation, even as the letters have not been replied to as at the time of filing this report.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Francis Ade Fadahunsi, while reacting to the concerns raised by the Customs boss over the worsening sea surge, having inspected some parts of the joint border control facility, noted that the committee came on the visit at the behest of the leadership of the National Assembly, especially the Senate, and would therefore tender its report.
Fadahunsi, who is a retired Assistant Comptroller General of the Service, assured that the committee would do a comprehensive report on the entire visit, which must also feature all the observed challenges facing the Command, which is one of the revenue nests of the Federal Government.
The Comptroller also briefed the committee on the operational activities at the command, saying that out of the N1.9billion revenue target given to the command for the 2023 fiscal year, it has collected a total of N1.6billion as at July, which represents 72per cent increase compared to the N884million collected in the comparative period of 2022.
He also reeled out some of the Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives by the command for the host communities, which include the renovation of the Badagry General Hospital and donation of drugs and other healthcare materials by the Customs Officers Wives Association, donation of football jerseys and other sports materials to various youth groups within the border communities.
By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
In a concerted effort to tackle racketeering and reduce inflated transportation costs in the Nigeria’s seaports, Trucks Transit Parks Ltd. (TTP) has trained Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders on the use of its Ètò electronic call-up system.
The training was held recently at Customs Processing Centre (CPC) Auditorium, Apapa, Lagos, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and supported by the leadership of the Joint Association of Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders (JALCAFF), Apapa Command.
Speaking at the event, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu expressed appreciation to TTP for facilitating the training and emphasized the need for customs agents to take personal ownership of the Ètò booking process.
“I want to thank TTP for this impactful training. I encourage all customs agents to begin doing their own bookings directly. By doing so, they can take back power from the unscrupulous elements exploiting their lack of knowledge, selling tickets at highly inflated prices,” Olomu declared.
He noted that empowering agents with hands-on training was key to dismantling racketeering networks that have plagued access to the ports and frustrated efficient logistics processes.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Apapa Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Chief Emeka Chukwumalu, said the engagement was critical to the ongoing push to reduce cargo transportation costs and ease business operations at the Apapa Port.
According to a freight forwarder, “The training is basically for us to have awareness of the operations of the Ètò call-up system through TTP. We also want to brainstorm on ways to reduce the high cost of cargo transportation in Apapa Port.
“This training opened our eyes to how simple it is to book tickets ourselves. We now know the right steps to follow and how to avoid falling victim to fraudsters.”
Earlier, Head of Operations at TTP, Mr. Irabor Akonoman, talked on common misconceptions about ticket pricing, reaffirming that the cost of Ètò bookings had remained consistent since its inception.
“The official price remains the same since inception. What people are paying higher amounts for is the manipulation by racketeers”.
Towards strengthening small businesses and promoting a more supportive regulatory environment, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) says it will hold the 2025 edition of its flagship MSMEs Fair on Tuesday (May 6, 2025).
The event, themed, “Galvanising MSMEs for Economic Growth and Stability”, will take place at NECA House in Lagos.
According to NECA’s Director-General, Mr Adewale Smatt Oyerinde, the fair seeks to provide micro, small, and medium enterprises with essential tools, resources, and strategic networks to thrive in Nigeria’s challenging business climate.
He emphasised the vital role MSMEs play in national development, describing them as the “lifeblood of Nigeria’s economy.”
Oyerinde noted that the fair is designed to offer entrepreneurs practical solutions to navigate economic uncertainties, regulatory hurdles, and business scalability issues.
A major attraction of this year’s event is the keynote address by the CEO of FATE Foundation, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, a prominent advocate for MSME development.
She is expected to share transformative insights on innovative strategies for sustaining and growing small businesses in Nigeria.
A unique feature of the fair will be interactive sessions with key regulatory bodies. Entrepreneurs will engage directly with agencies responsible for licensing, compliance, taxation, and business registration.
NECA said these sessions aim to demystify bureaucratic processes and foster a more enabling business environment.
It also said the fair will provide a platform for entrepreneurs to exhibit their products and services, connect with potential investors, and explore new markets.
It added that participants would gain critical knowledge on digital transformation, access to finance, and strategies for sustainable business growth.
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· NECA stressed that the fair aligns with its broader mission of promoting enterprise development and economic resilience.
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· “By empowering MSMEs with the right support and information, the organisation aims to stimulate job creation, innovation, and long-term economic stability”, NECA said.
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· The 2025 MSMEs Fair is expected to attract a wide range of stakeholders, including financiers, tech experts, regulators, and industry leaders, all united in advancing the growth of Nigeria’s MSME sector.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, says over two million passengers have been transported on the Blue Line Rail since its launch, while state-run buses move an average of 42,000 commuters daily.
Osiyemi, who disclosed this during the Year 2025 Ministerial press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, on Tuesday, noted that the Lagos State Transport Policy, launched in May 2024, was now in its implementation phase, focusing on inclusivity, safety, affordability, and sustainability.
“On rail development, Phase One of the Blue Line (Marina to Mile 2) has served over two million passengers, with Phase Two (Mile 2 to Okokomaiko) in progress.
“Phase One of the Red Line (Agbado to Oyingbo) is now operational with eight stations and additional rolling stocks procured, while Phase two (Oyingbo to link Blue Line at National Theatre) is underway”, he said.
The Commissioner said in the state-owned bus operations, over 60 million commuters have been served since 2019, with daily ridership exceeding 40,000.
He also said plans were on to deploy new buses with Quality Bus Corridors under construction, adding that the Abule=Egba Bus Terminal had also been commissioned.
“For water transport, 15 locally-built Omibus Ferries have been launched and are in operation, with the Ijegun Egba Terminal now open.
“The OMI EKO project, in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), will deliver 25 terminals and 78 electric ferries.
“Over 280,000 passengers have used ferry services in the past year, and 12 boats have been upgraded to meet safety standards”, he said.
On road infrastructure and traffic management, the Commissioner said 49 junction improvement projects had been completed, including ongoing ones at Ikorodu, Iju, as well as Allen-Opebi-Toyin axis.
He added that solar-powered Traffic Signal Lights, road markings covering 67.9km, new medians, laybys, and 3,941 parking lots had also been provided.
Additionally, Osiyemi announced that the deployed Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras had detected over 470,000 traffic violations and that the Vehicle Inspection Service issued over one million roadworthiness certificates.
He also said that the Lagos State Drivers’ Institute trained more than 32,000 drivers in the past 13 months.
The event marked the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term, showcasing major strides in the transport sector under the THEMES+ agenda.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos