Monday Discourse with Nasiru Ibrahim

The official rollout of Phase One of the National Single Window (NSW) was heralded as a monumental leap toward a paperless, automated trade ecosystem.

On paper and within executive dashboards, the achievements are clear: the serialization of Licenses, Certificates, and Permits (LCPO), streamlined electronic manifest transmissions, and integrated risk management for primary regulators like SON and NAFDAC.

Yet, as the steering committee aggressively prepares for the imminent deployment of Phase Two, a severe operational reality check is required.

The claim that the Single Window has successfully “taken off” remains a purely administrative illusion when measured against the brutal, manual friction remaining at our terminal gates.

The core vulnerability of the current transition is the absolute failure to align digital front-end clearances with physical back-end enforcement.

Importers are successfully navigating the centralized National Single Window Portal, obtaining official electronic green lights, only to watch their consignments get trapped by manual human greed the moment the cargo hits the access roads.

Phase Two promises end-to-end electronic customs clearance, full payment digitization, and automated interoperability with the Nigeria Customs Service’s new B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System.

However, if the federal administration continues to pour billions into software updates while leaving parallel manual check-points unpunished, Phase Two will simply become a highly expensive digital facade masking an archaic extortion regime.

True trade facilitation is not a technological achievement; it is a direct function of political will.

The integration of advanced platforms like B’Odogwu across major commands like Apapa and Tin Can proves that our regulatory arms possess the technical capability to automate. The problem is cultural and financial.

Entrenched administrative empires are deliberately preserving parallel manual structures because documentation loops, artificial delays, and manufactured compliance flags remain incredibly lucrative.

For the National Single Window to transition from a policy delusion into a genuine economic catalyst, the state must move past cosmetic celebrations.

The presidency must deploy the executive power required to completely outlaw physical interventions outside the approved digital framework and enforce severe punitive consequences for any agency chief who authorizes parallel verification processes.

Until the gate complies with the portal, the National Single Window project remains grounded.

Chief Ibrahim Nasiru, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja

Funso Olojo, Editor 

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to building an efficient, transparent and globally competitive maritime administration capable of responding to contemporary industry demands.

Mobereola stated this when he received the leadership of the Alumni Association of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (AMANO), led by its President, Mr. Emmanuel Maiguwa, during a courtesy visit to NIMASA headquarters in Lagos.

The NIMASA helmsman said the agency would continue to pursue institutional reforms, strengthen regulatory oversight and deepen stakeholder collaboration in order to advance Nigeria’s maritime industry in line with the policy direction of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

“Our vision is to build a maritime administration that is efficient, transparent and globally competitive.

“We will continue to pursue reforms that strengthen regulatory oversight, promote innovation and expand opportunities for Nigerian seafarers in line with the policy direction of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy,” Mobereola said.

He described the maritime sector as a critical driver of Nigeria’s economic development, stressing that effective collaboration among government agencies, professional bodies and industry stakeholders was essential to unlocking its enormous potential.

According to him, AMANO and other maritime associations remain important partners in shaping policies and programmes capable of strengthening the sector and creating sustainable opportunities for Nigerians.

Mobereola assured the delegation that NIMASA would sustain its engagement with relevant stakeholders while implementing initiatives aimed at improving the welfare, training, certification and employment prospects of Nigerian seafarers.

Earlier, Maiguwa commended NIMASA for the successful deployment of its electronic platform for the issuance of Seafarers’ Certificates, describing the initiative as a significant milestone in the agency’s efforts to improve efficiency, transparency and accessibility in the certification process.

He also applauded NIMASA’s strategic partnerships and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), noting that the initiatives had helped to create greater opportunities for the training, certification and employment of Nigerian seafarers.

Maiguwa, however, called for sustained engagement between AMANO and NIMASA in addressing critical issues affecting seafarers and the wider maritime industry.

He identified the expansion of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), increased stakeholder participation in maritime policy formulation and effective implementation of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) as key areas requiring greater attention.

Other areas highlighted by the AMANO president included stronger protection for Nigerian seafarers against abandonment, the establishment of a sustainable pension framework and improved welfare packages for seafarers.

He expressed the association’s readiness to deepen its partnership with NIMASA, stressing that stronger collaboration between industry stakeholders and the maritime administration would contribute significantly to the development of a more resilient and competitive Nigerian maritime sector.

The meeting provided an avenue for both parties to exchange views on pressing issues confronting the industry, including seafarer development, implementation of international maritime instruments, stakeholder participation in policy formulation and measures to promote the sustainable growth of Nigeria’s maritime economy.

Gloria Odion,  maritme reporter 

The Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN) has announced September 10th, 2026, as the date for this year’s edition of its flagship MARAN Annual Maritime Lecture (MAMAL), a high-profile gathering expected to bring together key government officials, industry leaders and maritime stakeholders to deliberate on strategies for enhancing the competitiveness of Nigeria’s ports.

The annual lecture, scheduled to hold at the Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island, Lagos, will focus on the theme: “Nigeria Ports Modernisation, Charges and the Competitiveness Question.”

The event is expected to provide a strategic platform for robust discussions on reforms required to make Nigerian ports more efficient, cost-effective and globally competitive.

According to the organisers, this year’s lecture will examine critical issues shaping the nation’s maritime sector, including port infrastructure modernisation, operational efficiency, port charges, trade facilitation, regulatory reforms and policy initiatives aimed at positioning Nigeria as the preferred maritime and logistics hub in West and Central Africa.

The Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola is expected to attend as the Special Guest of Honour, underscoring the Federal Government’s commitment to advancing reforms in the maritime and blue economy sectors.

The keynote address will be delivered by Hadiza Bala Usman, former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and  Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU).

She is expected to articulate the Federal Government’s policy direction on port reforms and highlight the importance of coordinated implementation in improving operational efficiency, attracting investment and driving sustainable economic growth.

Speaking on the forthcoming event, MARAN President, Mr. Oluyinka Onigbinde, disclosed that the lecture will be chaired by TANTITA Security Services Limited, adding that it will attract an array of stakeholders, including government officials, heads of maritime agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, freight forwarders, port users, investors, academics, development partners and media professionals.

According to Onigbinde, MAMAL has over the years evolved into one of the maritime industry’s foremost policy dialogue platforms, fostering constructive engagement among stakeholders and generating practical recommendations to address the sector’s most pressing challenges.

He expressed optimism that this year’s edition would produce actionable policy recommendations on reducing the cost of doing business at Nigerian ports, improving operational efficiency, boosting investor confidence and accelerating Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a leading maritime and logistics gateway in the sub-region.

Onigbinde therefore called on stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to participate actively in the event, describing MAMAL 2026 as a strategic forum for shaping policies, strengthening partnerships and promoting innovation that will drive sustainable growth and enhance the global competitiveness of Nigeria’s maritime industry.