The Nation Newspaper

Category: Maritime

  • World-class transport system coming, says NPA MD

    The Federal Government is to evolve a world-class transport system that will position the seaports as a hub in West and Central Africa.

    Speaking after the Intermodal Freight Transport Conference hosted by The Nation in Abuja, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Managing Director Ms Hadiza Bala Usman said the government would establish a safe, efficient, affordable and seamless intermodal transport system in line with global best practices. She canvassed an enabling environment for Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

    The promotion of inter-modalism, she said, envisaged, among others, the connection of all state capitals, seaports, airports and river ports with railway lines to complement the road infrastructure across the country.

    According to her, the NPA supports the hosting of the conference and other initiatives as a reflection of the Federal Government’s efforts and determination to showcase the programmes and projects being undertaken by President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

    The maritime sector, Ms Usman said, remains a key sector of the economy, adding that its enormous potential deserves continuous harnessing to meet the government’s expectations and that of the people.

    “Over the last two years, NPA has been carrying out a number of reform measures aimed at enhancing the operational efficiency in the various ports. For instance, we have identified some issues and challenges that are necessitating intermodal freight transport, which include the following:

    • The “stand alone” transport planning and management approach by government in the past, whereby budgetary allocations in the transport sector over the years neither prioritised modal integration nor considered transport development from modal comple-mentarities point of view;
    • Over the last 10 years, the container throughput in Nigerian seaports has grown by over 100 per cent while the gross tonnage has grown by over 200 per cent and in recent years export has grown by over 500 per cent;
    • A report credited to the West Africa Transport Union alleged that 60 per cent of trucks loading goods at the Lagos seaports do not get their products on time;
    • Apapa Port annual cargo is in excess of 10.9 million tons;
    • Heavy traffic impedes business at Apapa industries and Lagos Ports at Apapa and Tin Can Island;
    • Vehicles carrying heavy goods and poor drainage cause unstable road pavement;
    • Every 30 seconds a 20-30 tons loaded trailer leaves Apapa;
    • Every 80 seconds same trailer type leaves Tin Can Island;
    • Millions of containers enter Nigeria mainly through the Lagos Ports where inadequate logistics infrastructure to match these ever-growing imports has brewed a state of chaos within the Port and its environs;
    • Over 60 per cent of the containers and imported cargoes that arrive Lagos Ports exit Lagos for other parts of Nigeria Less than three per cent of the cargoes that arrive Apapa Ports are utilised within two square kilometers around the port, and
    • Over 3,000 trucks line up daily to enter Apapa Ports, making entry and exit an uphill task. Apapa environs have become a spot market for container haulage, creating a mayhem as all other access routes to and from the Ports are blocked by loitering trucks looking for spot hire.

    Other issues and challenges are:

    • That the Lagos Ports account for over 85 per cent of goods coming in and out of Nigeria;
    • Cargo throughput have increased from 37mil|ion metric tons to 84 million metric tons;
    • Absence of rail links to the ports. Poorly developed inland waterways;
    • The failure of the pipeline mode of transport, which resulted into increasing construction of clusters of tank farms within the port environment;
    • Increase in Private sector demand for water front infrastructure and port land;
    • Global changing trend of increase in container freight;
    • The effect of port city on the port and port access;
    • Ship owners’ response to economy of scale by acquiring larger and deep drafts vessels, hence the demand for deeper channels, bigger berthing infrastructure and modern cargo handling gear (construction of deep sea port);
    • Port financing policy review (PPP);
    • Port optimal and strategic utilisation and
    • Envisaged Diversification of the nation’s economy away from oil.

    Some of the notable benefits associated with inter modal freight transport as identified by Ms Usman include seamless door-to-door transport; possibility of transporting goods more economically in containers that can be moved on land by rail or truck and on water by ship or barge; the movement of bulk commodities in inter modal freight transport and the enhancement of efficiency and integration within the supply chain, which can be transformed into improvements in cost, quality of service and delivery times.

     

  • Customs’ ‘Strike Force’ co-ordinator vows hard times for smugglers

    The new National Co-ordinator, ‘Strike Force’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr Abdullahi Dahiru Kirawa has promised smugglers hard times.

    Speaking at the weekend after taking over the leadership of the anti-smuggling outfit of the Service, Kirawa said he would collaborate with other Customs’ Commands to flush out smugglers.

    He said with the support of other officers of the Service, he would harness all human and material resources to achieve the zero tolerance policy on smuggling.

    A few years back, his group, it was learnt, seized about 10,000 bags of rice in a single operation on Seme/Badagry Expressway.

    Kirawa is seen by his colleagues as a grassroots officer, who understood the terrain and has the ability to conquer the environment where smugglers carry out their nefarious activities.

    “I know the terrain more than they do and I’m a grassroot man too with a lot of informants. So, my advice to them is that they should find legitimate things to do to earn a living because if they continue with smuggling, they will not only lose their investments, but will equally be prosecuted.

    “Everybody knows that the CGC, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), has zero tolerance for anything that is illicit, including smuggling and is fully prepared to descend heavily on criminals in the system.

    “Therefore, with his mandate, my team and I are fully ready to crack down on all saboteurs of the economy. The law must be implemented to the letter as far as the Strike Force of the Customs is concerned.

    “I must make it known here that the Strike Force covers the entire country and my men are all over the place, both land and water, to ensure that no illegal goods enter undetected. Like I said earlier, anybody who wants to lose his investments and face prosecution should smuggle. We will spare nobody because we stand by the mandate given to us by the CGC and the law of the land,” he said.

    Seeking the cooperation of stake-holders, he advised importers and customs agents to keep abreast of import guidelines.

  • Osinbajo to open conference

    Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo will declare open the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) Africa Regional Conference slated for September in Abuja.

    The event, according to its local organising committee (LOC), will be hosted by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) from September 17 to 19, at the Transcorp Hilton.

    The theme of the conference is: “African Ports and Hinterland Connectivity”.

    The event, according to its promoters, will draw key stakeholders in port and harbours across the continent of Africa  and other parts of the world.

    The Chairman of the organising committee, Mrs Ugo Madubuike, said: “The IAPH Africa Conference will assemble key experts and stakeholders in the port logistics and transport industry to provide a deeper understanding of the concept of port hinterland connectivity, assess the present landscape of Africa’s port sector and the challenges faced in hinterland connectivity, discuss the experiences of port hinterland connectivity in other parts of the world compared to Africa, explore possible critical solutions, and recommend best home-grown models that would enable Africa to improve on its port hinterland connectivity and intraregional trade”

  • Trawler owners raise the alarm on threats to $5b investments

    Over $5 billion (about N1.8 trillion) investments may go down the drain, if the government does not come to the aid of fish and shrimps firms.

    The about 40 firms, which operated almost 250 industrial vessels about 15 years ago, now have nothing to show for their investments, according to the Nigeria Trawler Owners Association (NITOA),

    Their operations, the groups said, were being affected by “bad policy and harsh economic environment”.

    A member of the group, Sebastine Onyewe, said: “Despite the more than $5.2 billion investment of our members on jetty facilities, equipment and infrastructure, only about 130 vessels are in operation due to the harsh situations that the industrial fishing operators have had to contend with.

    “These have led to several companies going into limbo to the extent that only 12 companies are operating now.”

    The group said with support, it could assist “in generating the much-needed foreign exchange from the non-oil exports”.

    NITOA’s operations, Onyewe added, provided employment to over 6,000 Nigerians and more than 600,000 jobs indirectly across the country before their predicament, adding that the government needs to assist them.

    The group, he said, would have improved on its shrimp production and export capabilities and increase local fish production level from 10 per cent to 35 per cent, if not for the challenges facing them.

    “Sea armed robbery and piracy have led to the killing and maiming of crew men, thus making the highly productive areas in our marine waters inaccessible.

    “While we must accept that the situation is much better than it was few years back, there is still a lot of room for improvement. NIMASA must synergise much more with the Nigerian Navy to ensure that our maritime environ-ment is safe and secure.

    “While we appreciate the Federal Government’s efforts at earmark-ing a fisheries terminal at the KLT in Lagos, the encumbrances on the way of those efforts may not allow it mature as quickly as one may wish.

    “We, therefore, want to further suggest that companies already operating from KLT 1 and 2 be allowed to continue to operate from their locations.

    “NPA may only need to charge some reasonable commercial rates, but which will not drive operators out of business,” he said.

    The Shippers Association of Lagos (SAL) has cried out over what it called the rising robbery on the waterways. The waterways, it said, had become a haven for robbery, urging the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to secure the terrain.

    SAL President Mr Jonathan Nicol said NIMASA should collaborate with law enforcement agencies to tackle the problem, urging the agency to do more to secure goods and ships on waterways.

    A shipper, Mr Solomon Anderson, suggested radar and satellite technology as part of the measures NIMASA should look into in finding solution to the problem.

    He called on the National Assembly to look at the Anti-Piracy Bill before it as many indigenous companies have been crippled and many children orphaned because of sea pirates.

    But NIMASA’s Director-General Dr Dakuku Peterside said the agency was addressing the water-ways security challenges.

    The agency, he said, was working with the air force, navy, army and police, to ensure the waterways were safe for freighting and fishing.

  • Peterside flays ship owners over abuse of waivers

    Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General, Dr Dakuku Peterside, has blamed foreign and indigenous ship owners for abusing the waivers granted them by the agency.

    Speaking with The Nation on the sideline of the interactive meeting  with stakeholders in Calabar, he said the agency has suspended the issuance of Cabotage waivers to ship owners because of the problem.

    He however said the suspension was temporal.

    Also, the agency’s Executive Director (ED), Marine and Operations, Mr Rotimi Fashakin, said the issuance of waivers was supposed to be a stop gap to boost local capacity in manning, flagging owning and building of vessels that operate within the country.

    According to him, Nigerian ship operators apply for manning waivers to employ foreigners.

    “If Nigerians cannot employ Nigerian seafarers, then who will do that?” he asked.

    The ED stated that if the problem continued unchecked, the development of local capacity would fail.

    “The provision of waivers in the Cabotage Act of 2003 is meant to be an exception, instead of the norm as is being witnessed currently, even indigenous operators seek for waivers on issues, such as manning.

    “If the indigenous operators are not ready to employ Nigerians, on what moral grounds can we compel the foreigners to do same?

    “The agency has decided to suspend the issuance of waivers on manning for now. A marine notice has been issued to this effect.

    “As we have endeavoured to demonstrate in this report, NIMASA’s commitment to the development of indigenous shipping remains as firm as ever.

    “In this view, we have our hands on the pulse of every significant area of the industry from ship registration to the disposal of spent or scrapped ships and development of capacity for the acquisition of new tonnage, marine environment and management, maritime labour regulation, among others,” Fashakin said.

  • NPA bans empty containers from ports

    Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Managing Director (MD) Hadiza Bala Usman has warned truck drivers and owners against bringing empty containers to the ports.

    Henceforth, such containers must be taken to the shipping firms’ holding bays.

    Ms Usman is said to have directed operators to stop using their terminals for storing empty container and no truck driver or owner must be allowed by any official of the NPA and terminal operators to bring empty containers into the ports after delivering goods to importers.

    Ms Usman took the step to manage traffic in and around the ports.

    Over 40 per cent of the space at the Lagos Port Complex (LPC) and the Tin-Can Island Port is occupied by empty containers.

    Ms Usman also ordered terminal operators to declare the number of empty containers in their terminals.

    Most of the firms at the ports have no holding bays, despite the huge money they have generated since the ports were concessioned in 2006.

    The NPA, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigerian Shippers Council  and the Nigeria Customs Service, it was alleged, do not have a record of the empty containers in most terminals.

    Speaking with The Nation in Lagos, a senior official of the Federal Ministry of Transport (FMoT), who  pleaded not to be named, urged the government to support NPA in stopping operators from using terminals for storing.

    “The Federal Government must support Ms Usman in her efforts to bring sanity to our ports. The shipping companies who are the owners of the empty containers must acquire holding bays that will receive them. The empty containers are to be evacuated to port terminals for export based on call-up system to be managed by the shipping firms and terminal operators,’’ the official said.

    Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi and the NPA, the  official said, should direct operators to publish weekly the number of cargoes with empty containers, at the ports. Most of the operators, the official alleged, connived with some NPA officials and shipping firms to keep containers at their terminals to create the impression that the ports are busy.

    Lagos State Shippers’Association Chairman Mr. Jonathan Nicol said  shipping firms were required to have bays. He added that most of the containers were in bad shape and could no longer be returned to Europe.

    Nicol said the containers were bought at cheaper prices to ship goods to Nigeria where they were  dumped. “Nigeria is not a dumping ground for containers. Now that there is no space in the ports for these containers, the shipping firms need to get holding bays and if they don’t have, they should hire,” he said.

    He also said the country was losing N1 trillion yearly through cargo diversion to neighbouring countries due to the gridlock on the ports’ access roads.

    Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) immediate past president Prince Olayiwola Shittu advised shipping firms to get holding bays or rent them, adding: “There are so many companies with holding bays that are looking for people to rent them.”

    Shittu said the step being taken by the NPA would save importers demurrage on containers trapped in Apapa gridlock for days and reduce cost of goods in the market.

    Some truck drivers said the challenge was that there was no truck park in Apapa, resulting in a situation where trucks were parked by the roadside and on bridges  waiting to be called up to bring their empty containers into the terminals.

    An importer, Chief Onasanya Ladejobi, expressed concern over the Apapa gridlock, which hinders access to the ports.

    Ladejobi said the bad roads were hampering trade and affecting delivery of cargoes. He said the empty containers must be moved to their ports of origin and  ports infrastructure be revamped to revive the economy.

    The business community,  according to him, is unhappy that measures adopted have not  yielded results to free the roads leading to LPC and the Tin-Can Island Port.

    The business community and port users, he said, were waiting for what he called “positive action” from Amaechi soon, adding that the quick rehabilitation of the road must be one of the minister’s major priorities in salvaging the economy.

    The Federal Government, states and stakeholders, he said, should work together to find a lasting solution to the problem.

    Ladejobi called for the promotion of agro-allied products export to free the ports and boost the economy, noting that he was not happy that about 90 per cent of containers traffic left the ports empty.

    The importer urged the public and private sectors to support government’s efforts at diversifying the economy.

    X-raying the ports’ last quarter operations, he said  there was  the  need to complement the NPA’s efforts at massive investments in infrastructural renewal and automation of port operations by generating enough export cargo to move empty containers out of the ports.

    The NPA, he said, must collaborate with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and Abuja Commodities & Exchange Commission in the promotion of solid minerals and agro-allied products to boost the economy. The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and Nigerian Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACIMA), he said, must also work with the NPA in tandem with the Federal Government policy on export promotion.

  • Customs seizes N48m wood

    • Seven held in Katsina

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted unprocessed wood worth over N48 million.

    The wood were for export.

    The wood were concealed in four 20ft containers with Reg Numbers: TRHU 361154-8, MRSU 017398-0, TRHU 336524-9 and BSlU 299069-8 and ladened on lveco trucks with Reg. Nos LSD 507XS; JJJ 558XV; AGL 530 XA and one unmarked truck before the vehicles were intercepted on Apapa Axis by the Comptroller-General’s Strike Force led by Zone A Commander Salisu Asaba Bullah.

    Bullah confirmed the seizure, adding that the unprocessed wood fell under the export prohibition list. He said the consignments were being held at the Government Warehouse, Ikeja.

    It would be recalled that the Forestry Department in 2016 said the maximum allowable dimensions of unprocessed wood for exports are 30mm-350mm long, 50mm-360mm wide and 25mm-345mm thick.

    Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Vice President Dr Kayode Farinto said unprocessed wood export was illegal.

    “Exporters of unprocessed woods must have all the required permits, including Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) certificate for exports, strict compliance with  the provisions of the extant guidelines for non-oil exports, completion of Nigeria Exports Proceeds form and that of the Customs Service, opening of letter of credit for buyers and repatriation of  foreign exchange proceeds arising from the approval into the company’s  domiciliary account in Nigeria, and all the Corporate Affairs Com-mission (CAC) certificates required for the establishment of  any company.

    “The most essential aspect of the law guiding wood exports is that the exporter must own a saw mill where these woods are processed to the required sizes for exports. This will create employment opportunities for Nigerians and add value to the economy,” Farinto said.

    Meanwhile, the Kaduna/Katsina Command of the Service has arrested seven suspected smugglers of foreign rice and other contraband.

    Its Controller, Mr Olusemire Kayode, said the contraband  included 1,892 bags of foreign rice, 162 bags of foreign sugar and hundreds of cartons of spaghetti.

    According to him, the items were intercepted between January and last June.

    The controller assured that the suspects would be charged after investigation.

    He also said the command had recovered 32 vehicles abandoned by suspected smugglers who fled to escape arrest when the Customs personnel approached them.

    “As you can see, our office is filled up with different cars arrested from smugglers with rice and other items.

    “Whenever smugglers sighted our operatives, they will remove the car power steering, run away and allow the car to run into ditch,” he said.

    Kayode said the NCS was determined to stop smuggling. He urged the public, particularly border communities, to assist with useful information to track and apprehend smugglers.

  • New lease for Maritime Academy, Oron

    Officials of the Federal Ministry of Transportation (FMoT) have paid an unscheduled visit to the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom State, to examine the facility put in place by its management and how it is repositioning the institution for greater

    The Rector, Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom State, Commodore Duja Emmanuel Effedua (rtd.), was reportedly surprised last week when officials of the Federal Ministry of Transportation paid an unscheduled visit to the institution to see the facilities put in place by the management and how it is remodelling the academy.

    Investigation revealed that the Rector got notice of the visit less than 24 hours to the arrival of the fact-finding team.

    The facility tour came at a time critics and mischief-makers were at the peak of their campaign of calummy against the Rector; misinforming the public on the repositioning of the academy, and smearing the institution’s image through various means of propaganda on media and social network platforms.

    The facility tour, therefore, was timely and necessary to authenticate matters and properly inform the government and the public, based on verifiable evidence.

    At the end of the four-hour tour, it was learnt that the evidence on ground was too strong and numerous to be contested for any reason, except the spurious.

    Right from the road leading to the academy and its main gate, the therapeutic ambience, cleanliness and serenity of the environment and the soothing breeze sweeping across the length and breadth of the academy were obvious enough to show that something new has been put in place.

    The tour also revealed that the transformation in the academy was beyond the well manicured grass and the painting of structures. It was that of infrastructural renaissance as seen in the renovation, refurbishing or remodelling of projects to meet expedient needs, completion of projects abandoned for decades, construction of new ones, and facelift that would create a conducive atmosphere for work and academic activities.

    The first port of call was the Administrative Block, which houses the Rector’s Office. Apart from giving the block a facelift, more office spaces have been created within the structure by reducing the over-bloated size of the old ones. In addition, a state-of–the-art Reception Office has been built by redesigning the frontage of the Administrative Block, which was once empty and served no specific purpose.

    According to the Rector, the facelift became necessary because it was inexplicable that an academy over 40 years old had no Reception Office; hence the newly-designed Reception will enhance proper documentation and security checks on visitors as well as give whoever mans the office a sense of responsibility, concentration and comfort to handle his or her duties. Again, with new offices created within the Administrative Block, workers would be freer and more dedicated to their responsibilities.

    Next was the Academy’s Auditorium. It would be recalled that this was one of the flashpoints during the National Assembly’s last visit, where it was observed that materials used for the building were sub-standard, the design primitive, and the job poorly executed, hence a call for remodelling of the gigantic project. Just as was recommended, work on the remodelling is commendable, with the replacement of the inferior tiles with quality ones, replacement of wooden ceiling with POP, and reinforcement of the windows and doors.

    According to Effedua, there are plans to properly landscape the undulating grounds around the auditorium and create a car park as soon as major renovations on it were completed.

    The tour also took the team to the Academic Block within which are four lecture theatres.  It was observed that the lecture theatres, which were once shadows of realities have been renovated to modern standard with the fixing of quality doors, tiling of the floor, provision of two exit doors and adequate ventilation through extension of the windows.

    The Rector assured that as soon as the renovation was completed, smart white boards and comfortable seats would be provided to create conducive learning environment for both the cadets and their lecturers.

    From The Nation’s interaction with some principal staff in the Works Department of the academy, it was gathered that the lecture theatres had been abandoned for years even when there were pressing need for them. The Academic Building has a relaxation room for cadets, which is undergoing renovation.

    Another project site visited was the ongoing twin state-of-the-art survival pool, where construction was ongoing. Giving a brief background and projections on the project, the Rector said the original concept was that of an Olympic size swimming pool. But again, like other projects, it was abandoned for decades, a situation that had deprived generations of cadets of one of the basic trainings they ought to have had before graduating.

    To meet this need, the Rector re-awarded the contract on the condition that two new pools of quality material and standard be created out of the former one, since the main aim is the training of cadets and other professionals who may need such services.

    The one-storey, formerly conceived to be the Rector’s Residence,  has also been affected by the wind of change. Because the Rector lives in a rented property outside the academy and considered the apartment to be too big for one individual, he decided to make some structural adjustments on the building to meet part of the academy’s staff accommodation needs.

    Following this, accommodation has been provided for 15 workers within the building. The next time you visit the academy and you hear of ‘’White House’’,  it is the new name given to the former Rector’s building out of appreciation and joy by the workers. Besides, construction of workers’accommodation projects is ongoing.

    Also visited was a completed one-storey building, which Effedua said serves as a model for what all classrooms will look like, with teaching aids and comfort, which will gradually phase off congestion and inconvenience. Already, work on the one-storey classroom, which was abandoned at foundation level years ago, has reached advanced stage, just two weeks after commencement of work.

    It was also observed that two abandoned structures have been renovated and converted into a security quarters and a mosque, while work on the church building is progressing.

    Another achievement of the Rector is his ability to recall to site or renegotiate with contractors who, for some reasons, abandoned projects contracted to them by the previous management. The Rector said he was able to achieve this because of his accountability, robust diplomacy and provable goodwill to members of the host communities.

    “Indeed, this intervention has saved us money and the usual rigours of initiating new contracts and related processes. As you can see, the contractors are happy and serious over their work and meeting deadlines. I do this because government’s investment in this academy must be judiciously used, protected and accounted for,’’ Commodore Effedua assured.

    The Rector’s blueprint for the over 33 abandoned projects, including the Staff Quarters scattered around the Phase Three section of the Academy’s land, holds great promise of relief, especially for workers. There are also four 200-capacity hostel blocks, which, according to the Rector, will soon be completed and a section of it will possibly be used as guest rooms as one of the sources for generating revenue internally from outsiders, who may come to the academy for short-term courses.

    To facilitate and ensure the cleanliness of the academy’s environment, the Rector has also purchased two brand new mower-propelled tractors, with the labour sourced locally as part of the academy’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and empowerment for the host communities. It was quite humbling to hear that, purchasing the tractors, the Rector had to reject money approved by the National Assembly for his official vehicle and requested that the money be used to buy the tractors.

    It is no exaggeration to say that, in addition to the new spirit of seriousness and compliance to rules among staff and cadets, the academy is a beehive of activities, particularly the renovation, remodelling and construction of new structures to meet pressing needs. The ingenuity and efforts put in to achieve all of these became even more obvious when pictures of the old structures were shown to the team. The Rector mentioned that the renovation and remodelling exercise are on phases since everything cannot be taken at once.

    He announced the abolition of charges for Advanced Short Mandatory Courses for cadets and advocated the abolition of tuition fees.

    It was noteworthy to see these positive changes in the academy since the Rector formally took over the management of the institution. His proactive approach and dedicated response to recommendations made to him by the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration and the Governing Council during their last inspection visit to the Academy this year are commendable. For sure, those who have not been to the Academy in the last eight months are bound to ask many questions if they do so today. This is Commodore Effedua’s typical style of telling his story.

    •Okpo is an Uyo-based journalist and public affairs commentator.

  • Over 2,000 stakeholders for The Nation’s Maritime Conference

    Over 2000 participants have signified their interest to attend the planned confe-rence on maximising the potential of seaports for speedy economic recovery and growth.

    The conference, which is the second in the series, will hold in Abuja, next week. It is being organised by The Nation in partnership with Epsilon Limited.

    The theme of the conference is: “Intermodal freight transport: Key to unfolding the potential of Nigerian seaports for a speedy economic recovery and growth.”

    The venue is the NAF Conference Centre, Deeper Life Junction, near Cash & Carry, Kado, Abuja.

    This conference is to build on the success of last year’s. It aims to  actualise the consensus reached, integrate and fuse the plans of government and its agencies, and get a deeper buy-in of major stakeholders while carrying the public along.

    Its major objectives include: To show the critical role that intermodal freight transportation can play in precipitating the potential of maritime ports for speedy national economic recovery and growth; to share ideas on how to activate multi-sector partnerships in harnessing the potential of Nigeria’s Blue Ocean Economy; to heighten the awareness of the stakeholders on the various options available to finance the massive growth needed in the  maritime sector in the next 20 years.

    Others are to discuss how to meet the future human capital needs of the maritime sector and help realise the local content focus of the Cabotage Act; to receive reports from the Federal Ministry of Transportation and her maritime-port agencies (NPA, NIMASA, NSC and NIWA) on specific actions they have taken to actualise the agreements reached at the 2017 edition of the conference and to reassess the ports sector reforms and make recommendations for refocusing and fast-tracking it in line with long-term national objectives.

    Those expected at the conference include middle and senior officials of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Nigeria Shippers Council ( NSC) the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Administration (NIIMASA), Nigerian Export Import bank, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, Maritime Academy of Nigeria,  Oron, National Inland Waterways Authority, Nigerian Railway Corporation and the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology, Zaria.

    Others are officials from the Federal Ministry of Transport, NCAA, FAAN, Federal Ministry of Finance, Nigeria Customs Service, the BPE, Federal Ministry of Works, NEPZA, the NNPC, DPR, PPMC, NAPIMS, ICRC, NLNG, Information, the CBN, NIPC, BPP, FIRS, OAGF, NBS, NPC, FERMA, ECOWAS, NEPAD, AfDB and UNCTAD.

    Also expected are Commissioners of Transport of the 36 states and FCTA, directors of transportation; officials of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport, Nigeria Chamber of Shipping, Women in Logistics & Transport.

    Senior officials are also expected from the Office of the NSA, the Police, Immigration, Nigerian Navy, NDLEA, NAFDAC, SON, FRSC, Office of the Economic Adviser to the President, NEPC, NIPC; senior officials of littoral  state governments (Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Delta Rivers, and Akwa Ibom states); port-host local government councils, port operators, shipping companies,  major oil marketers and petroleum tank farm operators, major port users, the organised private sector (NACCIMA, MAN, NASME, chambers of commerce), freight forwarders, licensed clearing agents, operators of truck parks, haulage companies and associations, eg AMATO, NARTO,  service providers,

    From the banking sector,  the Bank of Industry (BoI), Development Bank of Nigeria, the Infrastructure Bank and others are being expected.

    Others are insurance companies, free trade zones and owners of bonded warehouses, maritime consultants lawyers, academia, civil society and  international development partners, among others.

  • Maritime seminar for Judges holds today

    The 15th edition of International Maritime Seminar for Judges is holding today in Abuja.

    The three-day event is being organised by the Nigerian Shippers Council, in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute (NJI).

    Former Interim Head of State Chief Ernest Shonekan is expected to chair the occasion.

    The NSC Director, Special Duties, Mr Ignatius Nweke,  said the three-day seminar was aimed at bringing judges, lawyers, practitioners and other stakeholders together to enrich their knowledge on maritime laws.

    According to the former image maker of the agency, the seminar also aims at equipping stakeholders in the sector with the challenges of interpreting and applying international maritime laws in settlement of shipping related to disputes.

    “The three-day seminar slated to hold between July 3 and July 5 is expected to consider some salient topics,’’ he said.