Maritime
NIMASA PLEDGES INCLUSIVE MARITIME GROWTH,CELEBRATES WOMEN
Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, has reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to encouraging greater participation of women in Nigeria’s maritime sector, noting that sustainable progress in the industry requires the contributions of both men and women.
Dr. Mobereola made this known while delivering the keynote address at an event hosted by the Agency in Lagos to celebrate women in commemoration of the International Women’s Day 2026.
The NIMASA DG, who was addressing the gathering of women professionals from across Nigeria’s maritime industry stressed that the maritime sector presents enormous opportunities and remains a key driver of national economic development. He emphasized NIMASA’s long-term vision of supporting more women to build careers and leadership roles within the industry.
“Men cannot exist without women, and the maritime industry can only achieve sustainable growth when both genders contribute meaningfully to its development,” Dr. Mobereola said.
Highlighting the vast opportunities in the maritime industry, the NIMASA DG said that the Agency will continue to implement policies and initiatives that encourage the next generation of female professionals to explore careers within the sector.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Director of Financial Services Department at NIMASA, Dr. Odunayo Ani highlighted the growing influence of women in the maritime industry and the importance of inclusive leadership.
Dr. Ani who is also the President of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) Nigeria further said that “Women in the maritime sector must continue to view compliance, leadership, and innovation from fresh perspectives that encourage inclusivity and sustainable growth within the industry”.
Dr. Odunayo also emphasized the need for stronger partnerships and collaboration among stakeholders to further expand opportunities for women in the sector, adding that NIMASA remains a strong example of institutional commitment to gender inclusion.
Goodwill messages were delivered by representatives of the various women-focused maritime organisations present, who commended NIMASA for its consistent support in advancing gender inclusion across the maritime industry. They also underscored the importance of mentorship, capacity building, and regional collaboration in empowering more women to take up leadership roles within the sector.
A high point of the event was a presentation by the guest speaker, Dr. Titilayo Enitan-Fowokan on “Navigating Nigeria’s Tax Reform: Opportunities for Women in the Shipping and Global Trade” where she examined how ongoing fiscal reforms could create new opportunities for women entrepreneurs and professionals in shipping, logistics, and global trade.
Dr. Enitan-Fowokan encouraged women in the maritime sector to position themselves strategically to leverage emerging opportunities within the evolving economic landscape.
[3 LASG IGNITES BORDER ECONOMY WITH CARGO FRIENDLY POWER GRID
By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has commissioned major electrification projects along the vital Gbaji-Seme and Owode-Apa corridors in Badagry border communities, unlocking smoother cargo movement, extended business hours for traders, and stable electricity for cross-border commerce.
Key projects include three HC Tower Crossings, rehabilitated 33KV distribution lines, and connections to 51 transformer substations.
These upgrades address chronic power shortages, strengthening distribution to thousands of homes, shops, and businesses directly benefiting cargo handlers, truck depots, and markets at Nigeria’s gateway to Benin and West Africa.
Represented by Deputy Governor Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, Sanwo-Olu emphasized how reliable power extends trading hours for border markets, boosts artisan and small manufacturer productivity, and powers logistics operations for faster cargo processing.
“This isn’t just infrastructure,it’s restoring confidence, unlocking trade opportunities, and driving economic growth along these corridors,” he stated.
“The projects align with the THEMES+ Agenda’s focus on resilient energy infrastructure. With the new Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission now operational, the state is poised to regulate and expand supply, ensuring sustained benefits like reduced downtime for cargo clearance, enhanced security through better lighting, and improved operations at schools, clinics, and warehouses.
“Badagry’s role as a trade hub amplifies these gains: stable power supports 24/7 cargo handling, cold chain storage for goods, and efficient cross-border enterprise, stimulating commerce across West Africa.”
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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