Maritime
JOLAPAMO SCORES SHIPPING GROWTH IN 2025 ZERO PERFORMANCE
The founding President and current Chairman of the Board of Trustees ( BoT) of the Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA), Chief Isaac Jolapamo has labeled the nation’s shipping industry 2025 performance as below expectation, stating that the sector is merely going in circles.
Speaking in an interview with our source on the industry’s performance in 2025 and outlook for 2026, Chief Jolapamo argued that despite Nigeria”s return to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council, the Marine and Blue Economy ministry only prioritized port infrastructure and administrative milestones while the real job of developing indigenous shipping capacity was completely neglected.
His words, “We have since the days of National Maritime Authority (NMA) been performing below expectation. That is my assessment.
There has not been anything for last year that we can say outside the IMO category C election and to me IMO just gave them the seat so that we can let them rest.
“The work is not about port development; it is about shipping development- that is the heart of the industry but unfortunately we are still going in circles.
There must be something to show. Take, for instance, during Buhari’s time, we talked of having a national shipping carrier but since Ameachi didn’t get what he wanted to do, they just jettisoned it.
“We have spent two years with this government and I thought by now they could have picked such a thing up immediately and make it work by bringing in the professionals who can midwife it.
“Not that you want a national carrier and you are tending towards a foreign company. It’s not done. So, to me, if they have achieved that in two years or done something along that line and returned to IMO like they did last year, that would have been good. I commend the government but the reality is what I’m saying. More work still needs to be done.
Chief Jolapamo lamented the lack of incentives for Nigerians to fly the national flag, noting that many wealthy Nigerians own vessels but choose to register them under flags of convenience abroad to avoid the hurdles of the Nigerian register.
“Registering a Nigerian flag is not attractive for international trade. We have so many Nigerians that own vessels but may not want to register it in Nigeria because of challenges associated with a Nigerian register,”
Jolapamo stated, noting that Nigeria must consider running both open and closed registries to attract indigenous tonnages back home.
Jolapamo also lamented the current state of the Cabotage Act, which was designed to protect local shipowners but has instead become a source of frustration. He blamed bureaucracy for stripping the law of its effectiveness through a lack of understanding.
“We fought for the Cabotage law to start small and grow big, but too many cooks have spoiled the soup. We have lost all the tonnages we once had, ” he lamented.
The veteran shipowner also spoke on the delayed Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), which failed to meet its August 2025 disbursement target.
“It is not even attractive to go and take the CVFF money anymore because there is no job to do. You cannot take money when you don’t have a steady job to do with the ship. “Some of us that started shipping some 50 years ago, we borrowed money from foreign bank on the basis of the job that we have to do with the ship.
You cannot go and take money when you don’t have a steady job to do with it. If you have experience, yes, the bank can give you when they know there is job to do but not on contract basis, ” he said.
On his expectations for 2026, Jolapamo urged the government to exercise stronger political will by mandating that major cargo interests, such as the Dangote Group and the NNPC to cede a portion of their shipping services to indigenous operators.
He dismissed claims that Nigerians lack the capacity to lift crude oil just as he advocated for training contracts to phase out foreign crews in favor of local officers.
“If we don’t have the officers that can run the vessels, of course, those ships can be run by foreigners with training contract, say after six months, a Nigerian will become a third officer and after nine months, a Nigerian will be able to captain the vessel. That’s how it’s done in other climes, ” he said.
Chief Jolapamo acknowledged that while the achievement of the IMO Category C seat provides an advantage, Nigeria must take the opportunity to develop it’s shipping capacity.
“I think there is going to be stability this year. Now that they are at IMO they should buckle up to do the work. The work is not about port development; it is about shipping development.
“Let the Cabotage Act work. It is not rocket science. The political will must be there. We were not operating cabotage before and we were doing well in shipping.
By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has held its 7th Retreat Medical Outreach in Daura, Katsina State,
Customs said the Free medical outreach is aimed at providing free healthcare services to residents of the area.
Speaking during the event, Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, Ahmad Tijjani-Abe, said the programme would provide general medical consultations, dental care, eye and ear care, as well as minor surgical operations for beneficiaries.
Tijjani-Abe said medical teams deployed for the exercise would also provide free medications to patients attending the outreach.
He added that the service would visit schools within the area to deworm students and distribute health kits and mosquito nets to help prevent malaria among children.
Also Speaking, Dr Ethelbert Ikechukwu, Medical Team Leader of the outreach said the exercise was part of the initiative of the Comptroller-General of Customs, which had been carried out in different parts of the country over the years.
According to him, the programme is designed to support communities where customs personnel operate by offering free medical consultations and medications to residents.
Ikechukwu further explained that patients whose conditions could not be fully managed at the outreach centre would be referred to appropriate medical facilities for further treatment.
Ikechukwu urged members of the public to take advantage of the exercise, noting that the medical teams comprised highly qualified healthcare professionals.
The outreach targets about 2,000 patients across various areas of medical care.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, says the Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration has made significant progress in developing road, rail and water transportation infrastructure across the state.
Osiyemi made this known during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing in Lagos to commemorate the third year of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.
He said the government remained committed to providing residents with an integrated multimodal transportation system that is seamless, safe, affordable, sustainable and inclusive.
According to him, the administration will continue to engage residents and invest in transport infrastructure to enhance mobility and support socio-economic development.
“Our promise to Lagos residents is to continue to provide and plan the best transportation system for all, in a manner that will boost the socio-economic development of the people and the state,” he said.
Osiyemi said the state was upgrading public transport infrastructure, including Bus Rapid Transit corridors and terminals, Quality Bus Corridors, rail projects and waterways facilities.
He said the Bus Rapid Transit BRT infrastructure from Doyin-Orile to Mile 2 along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway was 84 per cent completed, while the Iyana Ipaja Bus Terminal had reached 28 per cent completion.
According to him, the projects will improve mobility, reduce traffic congestion, enhance affordability and safety, and stimulate economic development.
Osiyemi said the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority was implementing several Quality Bus Corridor projects to improve mass transit efficiency and reduce travel time.
He listed the ongoing corridors as Mile 2, Alapere-Ketu, Ojuelegba, Cele and Abule Egba.
He said the projects feature dedicated and regulated bus lanes, modern shelters and terminals, improved pedestrian walkways and crossings, as well as traffic signal and junction improvements.
On rail transportation, the Commissioner said Phase II of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Blue Line would extend the corridor from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko, with track construction, station development and power installation ongoing.
He said the 37-kilometre Red Line rail project from Marina through Oyingbo to Agbado was being strengthened with the procurement of 24 new coaches arranged in three sets of eight-coach trains.
According to him, each train set will carry more than 500 passengers.
He added that a feasibility study was ongoing for Phase II of the Red Line from Oyingbo to National Theatre to connect with the Blue Line.
Osiyemi said the 68-kilometre Green Line rail project would connect Marina to the Lekki Free Trade Zone through Victoria Island, Lekki, Ajah and Sangotedo, with about 17 stations.
He said the state had signed a Memorandum of Understanding MOU with China Harbour Engineering Company for the project.
According to him, the Green Line is designed to transport 35,000 passengers per hour, while the Federal Executive Council has approved funding for Phase I.
On water transportation, Osiyemi said the Lagos Ferry Services was nearing completion of a boat maintenance and dry dock facility at the Mile 2 Ferry Terminal.
He said boat trailers were also being constructed to facilitate dry-docking and repairs.
The commissioner added that solar-powered portable office cabins were being installed at Ijede, Ebute-Ero and Liverpool jetties to improve working conditions for staff.
He said the CMS Pontoon Jetty had also been upgraded to enhance passenger boarding and disembarkation.
By: CHINEDU WOSU
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, has called for a human-centred approach to digital transformation, warning that the success of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies will ultimately depend on ethics, leadership, and institutional accountability.
Adeniyi made the remarks while delivering the keynote address at the 4th Biennial International Conference organised by the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences of University of Ilorin in collaboration with the Faculty of Philology, RUDN University.
The conference, themed “Disruptive Technology: Human and Artificial Intelligence in the Digital Economy,” brought together communication scholars, technology experts, researchers, policymakers, and heads of government agencies to examine the growing influence of artificial intelligence, digital innovation, and emerging technologies on governance, trade, education, and economic development.
Addressing participants at the University of Ilorin Main Auditorium last week , meAdeniyi argued that while artificial intelligence is reshaping institutions and economies globally, technology must remain accountable to society and aligned with public interest objectives.
“The digital age is, in the end, a human story, and the real test of our generation is not how powerful our machines become, but how wisely our societies choose to use them,” he said.
He noted that the world had already moved beyond the stage of anticipating disruption, stressing that digital payments, e-commerce platforms, artificial intelligence systems, and smart technologies had fundamentally altered global economic and governance structures.
According to him, the responsibility of public institutions is not merely to adopt new technologies, but to ensure that innovation strengthens transparency, efficiency, and public trust rather than weakening accountability mechanisms.
Drawing from the ongoing modernisation reforms within the Nigeria Customs Service, Adeniyi highlighted the deployment of the B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System as a major milestone in the Service’s digital transformation agenda.
He disclosed that the platform generated more than ?230 billion at the PTML Command within its first eight months of deployment, while significantly improving cargo processing timelines and inter-agency coordination.
According to the Customs boss, compliant traders now complete cargo clearance procedures in less than eight hours under the digital platform, representing a major improvement in trade facilitation efficiency.
“The partnership, not the rivalry, between human and artificial intelligence is where the real value lies,” Adeniyi stated.
He maintained that while artificial intelligence can enhance operational efficiency, risk management, and data-driven decision-making, human expertise and institutional leadership remain indispensable in governance and enforcement operations.
“Technology changes processes; leadership and expertise still deliver the results,” he added.
The CGC further advocated deeper collaboration between universities, research institutions, and government agencies to develop practical, locally relevant solutions to emerging governance and digital economy challenges.
He urged academic institutions to move beyond theoretical scholarship and become active contributors to innovation, policy development, and institutional reform.
Adeniyi identified several areas where academia could support Customs modernisation efforts, including artificial intelligence-driven risk targeting systems, digital compliance mechanisms, governance of cross-border data flows, and public trust communication strategies.
He also challenged African governments to develop indigenous digital governance frameworks that reflect the continent’s legal systems, economic realities, and development priorities rather than relying solely on imported regulatory models.
The conference also provided a platform for high-level engagements between the Customs leadership, scholars, traditional rulers, communication professionals, and heads of government agencies on opportunities for collaboration in digital research, innovation, community development and capacity.
By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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