The Nation Newspaper

Category: Maritime

  • Peterside vows to fight sea pirates

    Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General (DG) Dr Dakuku Peterside has vowed to stem the tide of criminalities on territorial waters, develop human capacity, ensure safety of vessels, remove wrecks and mitigate pollution.

    Peterside, who spoke with The Nation, assured indigenous ship owners and the international community that NIMASA would ensure the safety of their vessels,  crew and cargoes to foster shipping business and trading.

    He hailed the partnership between NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy, describing the institutions as partners in progress.

    The NIMASA boss noted the importance of the Navy to the development of the maritime sector, thanking the Navy for the synergy.

    He commended the officers and men of the Navy for their efforts in combating piracy over the years, pledging the agency’s support in carrying out its operations.

    “Piracy is capable of crippling the economy. Since shipping largely contributes to the growth of any economy, the economy cannot thrive where piracy activities are carried out,” he said, adding that he was happy that the Nigerian Navy created the Central Naval Command, which would help checkmate illegalities in the industry.

    Peterside said the agency would continue to extend human capacity development training to the naval personnel in the Maritime Guard Command Unit of the agency.

    He also warned shipping companies against polluting the ports, which had adopted best practices to protect marine resources from ship pollution.

    He urged the firms to use the waterways well or face the law, adding that pollution must be tackled to make the waterways cleaner.

    He expressed displeasure that general environmental issues were not considered by some oil and gas firms in the country.

    NIMASA, he said, will issue a roadmap on Marine Waste Management in Nigeria.

    According to him, NIMASA will domesticate some International Maritime Organisation (IMO) codes and conventions to protect the maritime sector, adding that IMO and domestic laws were considered in planning the roadmap structure to provide the ideal platform to grow the business of managing waste generated in the maritime environment.

    He plegded the agency’s support for public-private partnership model to facilitate effective management of ship-generated waste.

    Meanwhile, Sea and Cargo Logistics Chairman Raphael Christo-pher has alleged that many foreign ships were polluting the territorial waters with waste and depleting fish stocks.

    At a seminar organised by sea workers in Lagos, he urged the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, to fashion out a policy that will facilitate effective management of ship-generated waste within the marine and coastal environment.

    Twenty-eight countries, with an aggregate merchant shipping tonnage of 26.37 per cent of the world total, Christopher said, have ratified the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) convention.

  • NPA committed to single window operation, says MD

    The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is committed to the establishment of Single Window Operation (SWO)  for government agencies at the ports to promote efficiency and ensure competition with neighbouring ports, its Managing Director, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, has said.

    Ms Usman, who spoke with The Nation, said the introduction of a Single Window Operation and automation of services at the ports were necessary to drive the change needed to reform the sector.

    The single window operation and automation, she said, will enhance efficiency and decrease waste, adding that there would be openness in the system and process of cargo clearance.

    Ms Usman said people would be attracted to the ports with increased volume of cargoes, which would then enhance revenue generation.

    According to her, there will be more employment and the ports will become the preferred destination for importers. “Some of the delays affecting our ports have been eliminated by NPA and we are also collaborating with other agencies like Customs to introduce other electronic system of doing things,” she said.

    The NPA chief urged other government agencies to take deliberate action to address many challenges confronting the port system through consistent and predictable policies.

    Investors, she said, need certainty and ease of doing business in Nigeria, which can be brought about by quick intervention, especially in the gridlock at Apapa.

    According to her, no matter how efficient a terminal is, if there is no road to evacuate cargoes, how can you do it.

    She also advocated for the deployment of Flat Bottom Vessels (FBV) in channels with low draught in the nation’s seaports.

    The use of the FBV in shallow channels, she said, will serve as a workable solution for the draught limitations in some ports, mostly  in Calabar and Warri.

    A flat bottom 200-metre long and 61,000mt heavy vessel FBV, according to her, berthed last year in Calabar Port, despite the draught limitations of its channel. This, she said, underscores the fact that such vessels can navigate in such shallow channels.

    She appealed to stakeholders in the sector, especially those in the shipping sub-sector, to devise ways of collaborating with the NPA to see the presence of more FBV in such channels, considering their comparative advantage.

    “The NPA is willing to midwife and facilitate any proposal, which would make the new arrangement possible,” Ms Usman said.

  • ‘Corruption, infrastructure deficit bane of maritime sector’

    Corruption and infrastructural challenge have been identified as the bane of the shipping and clearing arm of the maritime sector.

    Speaking with The Nation in Lagos, Chief Executive Officer, Olas Motors Mr  Samuel Anderson,  said addressing the challenges would see shipping and clearing make huge contributions to the economy.

    The importer also alleged that the government has failed to provide basic infrastructure that would make the ports attractive for business.

    Comparing shipping in Nigeria to other countries like Dubai, China, and United States, he said there was no basis for comparison. “In Nigeria, there is no scanner and other necessary  equipment at the ports. There is no stability or continuity of policies, whereas in other developed counties, the economy, the currency and every other thing, are planned and this is what investors want to plan their businesses. It is not easy to set up anything in Nigeria because there is no reliable system in place.

    “Nigerians in the Diaspora have the expertise, resources and connection that can help develop this country, but the country is being strangulated by corruption, policy inconsistency, poor infrastructure and other evils. These discourage them,” he said.

    For instance, he said, in China, the government builds houses and makes other provisions for its citizens in the Diaspora, who are willing to relocate and invest in China, while in Nigeria there is no form of encouragement, no matter what you want to do.

    According to Anderson, staying in the United States (US) for many years, has helped him to gain enough expertise that would enable him bring about a positive change in shipping and cargo importation in the country. However, he said he was afraid because of too much corruption and infrastructural decay at the ports, adding that there was no port in Nigeria that compares to what obtained in other developed countries and urged the Federal Government to fix the ports and reduce the number of its agencies.

    “In China or Hong Kong, you can have your container released to you in two hours once it arrives the port and this is at a cost equivalent of between N5,000 and N10,000 whereas in our ports, for your container to be released, it takes several days to weeks and costs several hundreds of thousands of naira or more than a million naira in some cases, despite the government’s effort at reformation.

    “In Asia, everything works systematically and you can plan successfully. But here, there are lots of policy somersaults; things are not organised for sustainable growth and most importers in Nigeria find it difficult to cope with this kind of system after experiencing the best way things are done in other countries,” he said.

  • Stop abusing ECOWAS protocol, importers, agents told

    Importers and clearing agents at land borders have been urged to stop abusing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) to boost revenue and facilitate trade.

    World Cargo Investment Managing Director Adesope Aderoju, who spoke with The Nation at Seme Border,  said ETLS was introduced by ECOWAS to facilitate the integration of trade and commerce among member states.

    He said the scheme was set up to eliminate barriers and promote free trade, adding that it allows goods manufactured in member-states to move freely without payment of import/export duties within the region.

    “The scheme has been subjected to unbridled abuse, especially by some unscrupulous importers and Asian businessmen. These unscrupulous people bring in goods from China and other Asian countries, ship them into the sub-region and land such goods in ports of neighbouring countries such as Benin Republic, Ivory Coast, Ghana and even lately Liberia. They subsequently change the labels on these goods and smuggle them through the land borders into the country,”he said.

    The implications of this, according to a source, are grave. The source said apart from the loss of huge government revenue, goods that find their way into the market in this manner gain unfair competitive price advantage over locally made products.

    Apart from ETLS abuse, which is mostly perpetrated through the land borders, many importers also disregard the country’s import policy by bringing in various goods, including those banned by the government through seaports.

     

  • ‘NPA generated over $160m at Rivers port in two years’

    The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) generated over $160 million and N2.5 billion from the Rivers port between 2016 and last year, it was learnt.

    A senior official of the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMoF) told The Nation that the revenue excludes terminal operators’ “huge debts” to the NPA.

    NPA, the FMoF official said, was able to generate the amount because of the policies adopted by its Managing Director, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman

    “We, in the Ministry of Finance, sincerely appreciate the relentless efforts put in place by Ms Hadiza Bala Usman and her management team in restructuring the organisation, which has assisted in achieving optimal operational efficiency in the ports and boosted government revenue,” the official said.

    NPA, he said, generated $57,601,191.20 and N772, 458,535.93 in 2016, and collected $20,122,781.09 and N366,091,603.45 during the same period.

    In 2017, the official said, the NPA generated $62,301,975.72 and N1,121,834,253.10 and collected $20,605,246.82 and N435,881,674.09 last year.

    “We learnt that the serene environment created by Ms Usman and enjoyed by stakeholders attracted more importers and increased ship traffic to the Rivers port. This led NPA to more revenue generation for the Federal Government.

    “Her robust policy has also led to the move from the long-standing International Ship and Facility Security ( ISPS) Code level 2, to the current level 1. We were told that she also instructed all her port managers to maintain a cordial relationship with stakeholders and the host communities.

    “The Rivers Port Complex has the potential to serve as the hub centre of transshipment. The vast undeveloped areas that surround the Bonny River reclamation Zone along the Port approach/port limit is suitable as investors Haven for cargo consolidation.

    “The Brass LNG situated within the port’s jurisdiction is investors’friendly to meet the global requirement of liquefied natural gas. In furtherance to the Federal Government policy to boost/harness the resources, private sector investment would yield optimal and accruable revenue from oil and gas.

    “Considering the directive by Ms Usman and her team on training and retraining of members of staff on the E-Service, such as E-SEN, Revenue Invoicing Management System ( RIMS), Customers Potal and E- Manifest, the NPA management has brought prospect to potential port users, stakeholders and operators,’’ the official said.

    The official added that the Ministry was happy that NPA has a responsive management team, which has led to reduction in vessels turnaround time, serious improvement in revenue generation and collection, improvement in service delivery and improved safety guidelines at ports.

    Speaking with The Nation on the amount generated by NPA from Rivers port, Ms Usman said the agency is doing everything possible to make the ports outside Lagos attractive for business to boost government revenue.

    NPA, she said, is happy over the revenue profile of the Rivers port because the government needs money to fix the economy.

    NPA management, the Managing Director said, has concluded plan to make sure that finger jetty at the dockyard, operational Tug Boats, patrol boats and functional water hydrants at the quays are provided to attract more cargoes and ships traffic to Rivers port.

    Usman, however, urged terminal operators that are indebted to NPA to pay before necessary sanctions are imposed on them.

  • NIMASA to save nine-man crew held on Lagos water

    The Nigerian Maritime Administration and  Safety Agency (NIMASA) is to investigate why the remaining nine  crew members on board of two vessels  held on Lagos water by the Nigerian Navy have not been released.

    NIMASA, it was gathered, is working towards their release to assure national and international seafarers that the country is not above international law.

    A senior official of the Federal Ministry of Transport (FMoT) told The Nation, that the crew were on board MT United Trader and MT United Ventures.

    The crew,it was gathered, have been detained inside the ship since October,without being able to communicate with their families and friends.

    According to the official, the crew did not commit any offence apart from their principal, who is indebted to a firm.

    “An estimated 90 per cent  of world trade is carried  out on ship and requires seafarers to operate ship. Seafarers are in this sense essential to international trade and the international economic system. In fact, shipping and seafarers are one of the earliest of the “globalised” industries.

    “To protect the world’s seafarers and their contribution to international trade, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) adopted over the years some 70 instruments (41 Conventions and related Recommendations) through special maritime sessions of the International Labour Conference.

    “The ILO’s international standards for this sector establish the minimum conditions for “decent work” and address almost all aspects of work including minimum requirements for work on a ship (such as minimum age, medical fitness and training) provisions on the conditions of employment, such as hours of work and rest, wages, leave, repatriation, accommodation, recreational facilities, food and catering, occupational safety and health protection, medical care, welfare and social security protection. In addition, they address issues, such as pensions and an internationally-recognised document for seafarers (a seafarers’ identity document) to assist in border and ship control matters”

    The official, however, said there  was  need for NIMASA and the Federal Ministry of Transport to expedite action on the release of the crew without further delay.

    “The crewmen of the MT United Trader and Uniter Venture must be released after being held for over six months,” he said.

    Investigation conducted by The Nation revealed that the crew has no food and necessities on board and safety-related mater.

    The food supplied them by NIMASA, it was learnt, has finished and they rely on rain water to drink.

    Among the crew, it was gathered, are Obi Solomon Edjor and Omogbai Vincent

    “The nine Nigerian crewmen of the MT United Trader and United Venture must be released after being held for over six months inside the ship.

    “The men had been living and wining inside the ship without any court of Nigeria declaring them guilty of any charges.

    “The horror of what they are going through and frustration is high.

    “NIMASA and the Federal Ministry of Transport are, no doubt, working 24/7 to give them hope.

    ‘’The crew members have experienced enough trauma and NIMASA is always available to offer support and welfare to the seamen if, when and where required,” the official said.

    Security sources at the port told The Nation that the families of the crew had no idea of what had become of their loved ones and no communication had been established between them.

    The security official said tackling  piracy or roberry on the territorial waters is a major concern of NIMASA and required a multi-stakeholder approach.

    He said the pirates stifled shipping and by extension, commerce, which is a major driver of global economy.

    Peterside said he is exploring all avenues to keep Nigeria’s waterways safe for ships plying them. He noted that this required wider consultation.

    His office, he said, is championing some initiatives aimed at achieving zero piracy.

    He noted that Peterside is committed to making NIMASA accomplish its core mandate of ensuring safe, secure shipping and a cleaner marine environment

  • New dawn for maritime academy

    A few days ago, the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, (MAN), Oron hosted two strategic and supervisory arms of the government as part of its bid to structure and reposition the premier maritime training institution for global competitiveness. Edet Okpo reports.

    With words of commendation and strong vote of confidence by the National Assembly and Governing Council of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron in Akwa Ibom State on the Rector, Commodore Duja Emmanuel Effedua (rtd),  there is no doubt that the Academy is set for a new dawn.

    In the last one week, the academy  hosted two strategic and supervisory arms of government, with each coming with lofty packages aimed at reinforcing the Federal Government’s determination to fast-track processes towards holistically restructuring and repositioning the premier maritime training institution for global competitiveness.

    On Wednesday, March 13, members of the newly inaugurated Governing Council, led by their Chairman, Chief Ademola Seriki, were at the academy on what he described as ‘’inaugural visit/facility tour and familiarisation with Management staff”. Conversely, the aim of the five-member Council comprising renowned maritime experts, technocrats and seasoned civil servants of high professional and patriotic pedigree, was to enable members see things for themselves and unveil their template of action in tandem with government’s blueprint.

    On, Friday, March 16, the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration also came to the academy. The committee’s visit, on the other hand, could not have been said to be inaugural. According to Hon. Mohammed Bago, who led the committee, it was its “statutory oversight and supervisory functions over the Academy that fall under its duties”. It is on record that the committee has been visiting the academy almost quarterly. But last week’s visit, as Hon. Bago put it, was “to ascertain  to what extent the directives given on previous visits were complied with the what changes or new developments may have occurred since the last visit, and to deliberate on prevailing issues with the Rector as well as scrutinise his programme of action”.

    The volume of generous commendations freely poured on Commodore Effedua by the visitors were clear indications of how proactive, capable and meticulous the Rector has been in practically interpreting the Federal Government’s template  and other stakeholders for making the academy an attractive global brand. The rector has not only changed the hitherto dull physical outlook of the academy, but has utilised his leadership and administrative acumen in either adjusting or overhauling some internal processes that previously hindered productivity directly or indirectly. This is surprising because Commodore Effedua was a member of the defunct Interim Management Committee commissioned to develop modalities upon which the academy shall operate.

    The two inspection visits in one week simply conveyed the message on how committed and determined the Federal Government and stakeholders are about transforming the academy into a world class institution. It would be recalled that the Federal Government had last year engaged the services of an Interim Management Committee to fine-tune modalities for the needed changes  the academy required and thereafter made recommendations to the government. It is, therefore, gladdening to see how well the Rector understands the recommendations and how soon some of the best results have started to come.

    With what Chief Seriki saw during the visit, he expressed deep satisfaction on the state of some facilities in the academy and maintained that the institution stands a chance of becoming a global competitor if the needed changes were made in all ramifications and fast enough to let the impact be felt.

    He, however, stressed that attention must be given to obsolete equipment in some professional departments, such as marine engineering workshop, and nautical science. “We are greatly impressed by what we have seen; but I must also say that there is great need for improvement. Our intention is to leave this place better than we met it because we want to be part of the positive history of this academy. The Federal Government’s vision  for this academy is quite encouraging. However, we have a lot to do and all hand must be on deck. Support must be given to all arrangements and modalities put in place to towards the realisation of that goal,” the chairman maintained.

    He also said considering the level of innovation and sophistication in the global market, it was time cadets of the academy were exposed to the latest trends in the global space. “All we do  must be in tandem with the Federal Government’s template at holistic transformation of the academy and its products for global competitiveness. It is our resolve to negotiate with the National Assembly on matters of provision of facility, funding and other  relevant support for the effective running of the academy. More, really, has to be done in terms of upgrading of facilities. We must be seen to be doers not talkers,” the chairman urged.

    Chief Seriki praised the Federal Government for its commitment to fully translate the vision of the academy. He, therefore, unveiled the steps to be taken by the Governing Council. These will include effective engagement and functional partnership with maritime-related agencies and organisations in the oil and gas industry,  such as Mobil, NLNG, IMO, Ship Owners Association of Nigeria and NIMASA. Such partnership is to facilitate arrangement for the provision of facilities, technical services, capacity-building and engagement of qualified cadets from the academy.

    Places visited by the Governing Council during the inspection included Marine Engineering Department; Medical Centre; Jetty and classroom blocks.

    Others were the Academic Block, Mechatronics and Autotronics Laboratory, Strength of Material Laboratory, Thermodynamics Air-conditioning/Refrigeration Laboratory, Maritime Safety Department, Basic Course Centre; Auditorium and E-library/ICT Recourse Centre.

    The Council also inspected on-going projects in Phase 3, comprising staff quarters and hostel blocks.

    Members of the Committee were also praised the Rector for the chnages they noticed between their last visit and the current one. According to the Chairman, Mohammed Bago, it was obvious that Commodore Effedua understood the history and the circumstances in the academy and has responded to them with practical steps that pointed to a greater future.

    “Let me say that what we have seen today is a complete deviation from what it used to be. It is clear that deliberate steps have been taken to comply with earlier directives. On that note, I must on behalf of my committee commend the Rector for the strides he has recorded in so short a time and to encourage him not to rest on his oars until the battle is won. We are very impressed with the progress so far recorded.”

    Assuring the academy’s management of attention to critical matters,  Hon. Bago, however, made some recommendations for the smooth running of the academy. One of them is that the  academy’s staff strength may have to be reduced or some workers redeployed to where they are more relevant and productive than bloating up the system with workers, who had nothing useful to offer.

    The chairman’s further clarifications were that those due for promotion must necessarily be promoted; those due for retirement should be retried, and those found to be redundant should be amicably disengaged with due entitlements paid.

    According to Hon. Bago, “attention should be given to uncompleted and abandoned projects in the academy. Those projects built years ago and left halfway can be remodeled according to modern needs and necessities. It doesn’t  make sense to have projects scattered all over the place yet none is functioning. “That is why I insist that priority be paid to settling contractors as soon as they have delivered. There must also be a system of quality assurance and control so that projects can last for the purpose they were meant. The cardinal aim is the training of cadets for regional and global competitiveness; giving them all the leverage they need to excel; otherwise, we have failed and posterity shall not forgive us in that regard,”he said.

    Some projects recommended by the House Committee for remodelling included swimming pool, lecture theatre, E-library and resource centre and auditorium, and conversion of the abandoned Nautical Science block.

    Further reasons given  for the directive were that some of them had remained in that state for too long or were not of expected quality. To boost the Iinternally generated revenue (IGR) profile of the academy, the chairman also directed the Rector to convert some buildings to commercial use.

    Hon. Bago saw the academy as thriving on a triangle of gossip, bad people, and the progressives – all of whom, he said, should be identified by the management of the academy. The committee promised that it would use its office to create new windows for the rapid transformation of the academy and remove financial roadblocks that could hinder speedy attention to issues.

    The rector was also mandated to develop a plan of action and forward it to the committee for monitoring to ensure that he gets the needed support.

    Other Committee members on the visit included Hon. Solomon Adaelu, Hon. Muazu Lawal, Hon. Kabiru M, Achida and Hon. Fago.

    In his response, the Rector expressed  gratitude to the Committee for its passion and patriotic devotion to matters affecting the academy and promised to do all within his powers  to make the needed difference in the institution. He said he was happy that the House Committee could bear the pains to come down for sight-seeing.

    From the Academy Management were the Regimental Unit Commander, Capt. A. I. Yakubu, Deputy Registrar/Director, Public Affairs, Mr. Peter Netson, Acting Head of Bursary/Director, Finance and Account, Mr. Okon Bassey Okon, Director of Works and Services, Jide Kupoluyi, Procurement Officer/Director of Audit, Pastor Sunday Udoh, Chief lecturer/SA to the Director, Mr. John Adeyanju and Capt. Kponu, among others.

    At the end of the two high-profile visits, the conclusion was that the academy is, indeed, on its path to greatness, especially with the excellent vision and demonstrable capacity of Commodore Effedua.

     

    • Okpo is an Uyo-based public affairs commentator

  • Reps get 6000 petitions from Academy

    The House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration has received more than 6,000 petitions from the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom State. Besides, the Committee has issued a 30-day ultimatum to contractors handling projects at the academy to return to site.

    During its oversight visit to the Academy, the  Committee Chairman,  Mohammed Umaru Bago, urged its management to pay outstanding debts and warned the contractors to return to site or have their contracts revoked.

    Bago said: “I will encourage you to call all contractors of abandoned project for an interaction, pay all outstanding debts to contractors and ask them to return to site. Any contractor that refuses to return to site after 30 days will have his contracts revoked.

    “Then, any work that is done without drawing, delegate your works department to get drawings on such jobs so that it can be maintained and refurbished, because some of the buildings that you have cannot be used.

    “You don’t need to have thousands of buildings that are empty.

    “On the issue of workers aiding some host communities to tap electricity power from the academy, any staff found to be doing such, please before you arrest such staff member, first sack him or her. Because when you sack such person, he is no longer a staff member, so you now arrest the person as a criminal.’’

    Bago continued: “It is wrong to tap power from a generator that has just 100KVA capacity. Imagine a generator meant to service a building, some people in connivance with some of the Academy staff tap electric power from it to a village, how can such generator last long? This is wicked.

    On ongoing projects, the lawmaker urged the Academy’s works officers to work hard on them. He said the architects should look at the designs of the projects while the engineers should look at engineering aspects of projects. Projects, he said, should not be left to contractors.

    ‘’It’s because people are not busy; that is why they have time for gossips. When I went to NIMASA, I told them that if I receive any petition from anybody, I will come to the agency and announce the name of the petitioner. The same thing will apply here. If anybody writes petition here, I will come and call the person to come and defend his or her petition.

    “I have more than 6000 petitions from this academy alone on my desk. And most of the petitions are unfounded. I don’t have time for your petitions, people must change,” he added.

  • Firm lifts local content in maritime, energy

    An indigenous logistics firm, Fortune Global Shipping and Logistics Limited, has unveiled plans to showcase its strength in the global market.

    Its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Eric Opah, said the company had taken advantage of local content development policy to deliver logistics services and expand its coverage to the oil and gas sector.

    He decried the failure of logistics firms to expand to the global market, urging the operators to brace to fly the Nigerian flag higher in the international market.

    Opah said his company had taken the bull by the horn by establishing a branch in Houston, United States, and in Ghana.

    “Today, we are expanding to other countries. We have discovered that Nigerian brands do not usually extend to global markets. Most logistics companies only rely on what they can do within Nigeria. They don’t get to the helms of affairs internationally where decisions are being made.

    “Foreign multinationals are here in Nigeria, but we don’t have our own brand in that market. So, Fortune Global has taken the bull by the horn, and expanded its operations to Houston, United States. We are also in Ghana, as part of our vision to look out to strategic places to support in energy logistics,” he said.

    Opah said the firm also played a critical role in building the Egina Floating Production and Offloading (FPSO) vessels, which sailed into Nigeria some weeks ago for further integration.

    According to him, Fortune Global Shipping handled the clearance of the FPSO and the export of the pressure tank from Lagos to Goje in South Korea.

    The managing director noted that Fortune Global Shipping has capacity to handle over 2000 TEUs of cargo volume and over one million tonnes of airfreights yearly.

    He said the company had recorded some milestones in the Forcados Yokri and Shell’s FOID, among other projects in the oil, gas and maritime sectors.

    Opah noted that the industry has not grown due to factors, such as implementation of regulations and financial support.

  • Shippers to submit manifest to Customs, NPA seven days in advance

    The Federal Government has directed shipping companies to give their cargo manifest to the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) seven days before their ships arrive at the ports.

    The advance manifest, it was gathered, will enable the government to know the cargoes’details  and the risks before the vessels’ arrival.

    The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) issued the directive during its meeting at the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) office in Lagos.

    Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment Dr Jumoke Oduwole said the directive became imperative because of the government’s determination to enthrone global best practices and facilitate trade.

    To ensure compliance with the Executive Order on 24-hour ports operations, Oduwole said the government had instructed that shipping agencies must submit their   manifest electronically to the Customs and NPA seven days before the arrival of any vessel.

    The measure, she said, would ensure that risk management is profiled and separated on time before the ship’s arrival.

    The President Muhmmadu Buhari administration, she said, was focusing on issues causing insecurity, inefficiency and delay at the ports.

    NSC Executive Secretary, Mr Hassan Bello, said the measure became necessary to achieve better service delivery.

    He said the manifest would ensure security risk assessment before the ship and the cargoes arrival.

    The measure, he said, would address delays in cargo placement and offloading.

    Bello called on shipping companies and government agencies to work together to achieve the seven-day deadline.

    He implored agencies at the ports to complement one another instead of competing with themselves.

    Bello said the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) launched by the Council was a guide to port users, adding that the government was determined to provide an enabling environment for the stakeholders to move the maritime industry forward.

    Former National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, (NAGAFF) president, Chief Eugene Nweke said the measure required carriers to send advance commercial information about their shipments to the Customs and NPA.

    The collection and risk assessment of pre-arrival data, Nweke said, would improve the government’s ability to detect high-risk shipments before they arrive at the ports. Also, freight forwarders and clearing agents, he said, would clear low-risk, legitimate trade from the ports more efficiently.

    No Customs officer attended the meeting. But a senior Customs officer, advocated that cargo-carrying vessels should provide information on the cargo manifest, such as its consignor, consignee, quantity of goods, origin, destination and value.

    On the difference between the   manifest and bill of lading, the Customs official said: “A cargo manifest and a bill of lading sometimes carry similar information and the concept  is not always clearly distinguished. In some cases, a single document may serve both purposes.

    “In general, a bill of lading serves as a legal instrument focusing on and documenting such issues as ownership, whereas a cargo manifest is often more concerned with physical aspects of the cargo, such as weight and size. When the cargo is being shipped by different shipping companies on the same vessel, there will usually be separate bills of lading for each company, but only a single consolidated cargo manifest. On the other hand, if the cargo contains dangerous goods, there may be a separate dangerous cargo manifest.

    “In the United States, the government requires importers to file certain data elements before cargo destined is laden on board a vessel at a foreign port. These pre-importation filing requirements are known as the Importer Security Filing (ISF) or “10+2.”

    “Although these requirements affect both importers and carriers, the ISF rule has become more import compliance focused. The ISF rule mandates that the following data elements must be filed at least 24 hours prior to the loading of the cargo on an ocean vessel bound for the United States: manufacturer /(supplier) name and address; seller’s name/address; buyer’s name/address; ship-to name/address; importer of record number; consignee number(s); country of origin of goods; commodity HTSUS number; container stuffing location; and consolidator/stuffer,” the official said.

    He added: “With this directive, shipping lines  are now required to electronically transmit advanced manifest of their cargoes to Customs and NPA as soon as the vessel departs the last port of call – this is to ensure there is enough time for risk assessment, profiling and optimised placement of cargo.

    “Customs will then circulate the cargo manifests to other examination agencies and the terminal operators as soon as same are received from the shipping companies. Any shipping company that fails to transmit the advanced cargo manifest may be denied berthing rights or sanctioned by the government.”

    Findings revealed that the  measure was adopted in order to  know the type of cargo and the risks involved before arrival, prepare for emergency, confirm stowage and plan storage for goods that need special treatment.