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STAKEHOLDERS DIFFERS ON DISCLOSURE OF CVFF APPLICATION PORTAL ADDRESS TO APPLICATIONS

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3 months ago

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Following the launch of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, CVFF Application Portal by the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola in January this year, many stakeholders are still lost on how to get the link to the portal ass to make maximum use of it as demanded.
While many believed that the launch was part of the game plan by the Minister and the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola to buy time as the CVFF disbursement was not going to happen, others believed that we have never gotten closer to action in the history of disbursement of the fund than we have had under this regime.
Speaking in an interview with our source in Lagos last week, a former Acting National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Dr. Kayode Farinto pointed out that until the funds were disbursed, he was not going to bet his money on the sincerity of this government to disburse the fund.
He said, “I have heard that so many times. Do you even know the portal through which stakeholders can apply for the fund? It should not be hidden. It is because we are bashing them that’s why they quickly unveiled the portal.
The Minister told us ten months ago that he was going to disburse the fund. Did he disburse it?
“?I hate window dressing, the portal should be made known to Nigerians so that anybody can apply. If you are qualified, you are qualified. If you are not qualified, it takes you out. Are we running a secret society here? I have been searching in the last 24 hours to see the portal, to see what it looks like but I couldn’t see it. It should be in public domain.”
On his part, the President of the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners, NAMM, Capt. Tajudeen Alao argued that there was never a time Nigeria came closer to the launch of application portal in the CVFF journey even as he expressed strong belief on the ability of the government to live up to its promise.
Speaking on the disclosure of the CVFF Application Portal Address, Alao maintained that the address was promptly projected on the screen on the day the portal was launched for everyone to see even as he wondered that even the people who sat with him at the venue of the launch could capture the portal address as some of them later recourse to him for assistance.
His words, “As at Saturday, somebody was asking me what was the portal. It was displayed on the projector that day. People were invited, people were there, if you were there for a purpose, you capture what happened there. At the launch, the people, the bank spoke, the consultants driving the project spoke.
“ And I said to him, you went with your IT personnel, your personal assistant, even your MD was there, yet all of you couldn’t capture the portal address?”
Although he was not able to recall the portal address, the NAMM President, however, absolved the management of NIMASA and the Ministry of any blame in this regard saying, “It is you, the applicant that should have been prepared since two years ago to get your documents ready so that the moment the portal is open, you go all out.
“I don’t see why on that day, people will now come out and start asking, when it was displayed on the screen. Maybe if somebody has bought a ship, I could be a consultant, a supply crew but if you are not ready, how?”
Meanwhile, findings revealed that an applicant can access the CVFF Application Portal using https://cvff.nimasa.gov.ng as the link. Launched in January 2026, this digital platform enables eligible Nigerian shipowners to register, submit documents, and apply for financing up to $25 million to acquire vessels, replacing the previous manual, paper-based process
By: Nkpemenyie mcdominic, Lagos
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Maritime

NCS Holds Free Medical Outreach For 2,000 Daura Residents 

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2 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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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.
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Maritime

Lagos Records Major Gains In Road, Rail, Water Transport —Osiyemi

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2 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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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
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Customs Harps On Human-led AI Governance –As Customs Digital Reforms Generate N230Bn

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2 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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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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