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Maritime journalists celebrate Lagos NUJ Chairman in grand reception

The Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria(MARAN), today hosts the newly elected Chairman of the Lagos Council of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Leye Ajayi in a grant reception at the Rockview Hotel, Apapa, Lagos.
Mr Ajayi was a former President of MARAN.
In what appears to be a celebration of electoral success of one of their own, the maritime journalists will converge on the prestigious Hotel to honour Ajayi in the company of maritime industry stakeholders who have been invited to witness the epoch-making event.
In a statement issued in Lagos by the association,  the creme-de-la-creme of the Nigerian maritime sector are billed to attend the event under the Chairmanship of Prince Olayiwola Shittu, former President of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA)
The event is billed to hold at the Rockview Hotel in Apapa, Lagos on Thursday March, 25th 2021 by 11am prompt.
The theme of the  event is ”National  Development: The Challenges of and the Prospects for the Proper Implementation of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act in Nigerian Maritime Industry “
“MARAN is proud of one of its own, Leye Ajayi who was a bonafide member of the association until his emergence as the Lagos NUJ Chairman”
“Mr Ajayi had served MARAN meritoriously at different times and different capacities as Secretary General and later as President”
“The Association is therefore planning a grand reception to celebrate his electoral success”, an elated  Mr Anya Njoku, the President of MARAN,  observed.
The association said the grand reception and lecture are aimed  to boost the synergy between the Maritime Press and Maritime Publics and Government Parastatals.
The lead paper would be presented by seasoned Journalist and the Editor of the XPRESS Newspaper, Mr Emeka Okoroanyawu, who was one of the founders of MARAN in 1988.
Former General Manager, Lagos Traffic FM, Mr. Layinka Adagun, a pioneer MARAN Member, would also be a panel discussant to enhance the theme’s perspectives.
The special guests of honor expected at the event includes; the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council, Barr Hassan Bello, and Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Dr George Moghalu.
Others are; Assistant Comptroller General of Customs in charge of Zone ‘A’ Lagos, ACG Kaycee Ekekezie and the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotosho.
The Chief Guests of Honors are; Chairperson of Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) Princess Dr Vicky Haastrup, the President General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Comrade Adewale Adeyanju and immediate past chairman of Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) Aare Hakeem Olanrewaju.
Others are; President of ANLCA,  Hon Tony Iju Nwabunike and the founder of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Dr. Boniface Aniebonam.
In addition, all MARAN past Presidents and Executives would be on ground to grace the grand reception and lecture.
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Analyses

The invisible toll gates:Why National Single Window is Nigeria’s ultimate economic battleground

Monday Discourse with  Ibrahim Nasiru
Walk into any market in Nigeria today, from the commercial hubs of Lagos to the roadside stalls in Yola, and ask why a bag of rice or an imported spare part costs three times what it did last year.
The typical public commentator will blame global inflation, floating currencies, or macro-economic shocks.
But those who understand logistics know the real truth lies buried under layers of paper, manual stamps, and artificial delays at our seaports.
Nigeria’s international trade is suffocating not from a lack of deep water, but from a deliberate design of convenience.
The recent operational rollout of the National Single Window (NSW) has triggered behind-the-scenes panic among Port cartels, and for good reason.
For decades, keeping our clearing processes fragmented, manual, and dependent on desk-to-desk human interaction was the perfect business model for syndicates.
When cargo dwell times drag on for 21 days, those delays are money in the pockets of the gatekeepers and a death sentence for local businesses.
Let us look at the raw field realities. The push by the Nigeria Customs Service to aggressively crash clearance times down to global 48-hour standards is meeting fierce internal resistance.
Why? Because a unified digital ecosystem means you cannot easily manipulate documentation, hide illicit cargo, or demand “mobilization fees” before signing off a container.
The outcry and protests from certain freight-forwarding syndicates aren’t about technical glitches; they are about the sudden closure of invisible toll gates.
This is exactly why governance at our national gateways can no longer be left to the mercy of transactional bureaucratic habits.
Building deep-sea infrastructure like Lekki Port is a massive physical achievement, but concrete and cranes are useless if the administrative processes at the gate remain backward.
 Real structural reform requires turning our Ports into automated, friction-free pipelines that prioritize production over rent-seeking.
If Nigeria wants to survive this fiscal squeeze, the National Single Window cannot just be treated as another glossy IT project launched in Abuja.
 It requires unyielding administrative enforcement to completely dismantle the corrupt cartels managing the manual desk chains.
The invisible toll gates at our Ports must be completely demolished, and that exact same structural discipline must be scaled across our border stations and trade corridors.
The era of managing international trade with 20th-century paper trails is dying. The future belongs to the builders of automated, transparent systems.
Chief Ibrahim Nasiru, a public affairs analyst,  writes from Abuja 
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Headlines

Taiwo Afolabi maritime conference marks 10 years, holds July 20–21

Taiwo Afolabi

Gloria Odion, Maritime Reporter

The Taiwo Afolabi Annual Maritime Conference (TAAM) will celebrate its 10th anniversary on July 20–21, 2026, with organisers set to host what has grown into West Africa’s largest student-led maritime conference at the University of Lagos.

Organised by the Maritime Forum, University of Lagos, in partnership with SIFAX Group, the conference is expected to attract more than 2,000 participants drawn from government, academia, the maritime industry, corporate organisations and the media.

Over the past decade, SIFAX Group has remained the conference’s foremost supporter, helping to transform TAAM into a leading platform for youth engagement, maritime policy dialogue, industry collaboration and capacity development.

The milestone edition will be held under the theme, “Ten Tides of Impact: Raising a Generation to Position Nigeria as Africa’s Blue Giant,” reflecting the conference’s commitment to nurturing future maritime leaders and advancing Nigeria’s blue economy aspirations.

This year’s programme will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions and policy dialogues involving prominent stakeholders, including maritime lawyer Dr. Emeka Akabogu; the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola; the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola; Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi; President of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (Nigeria), Dr. Odunayo Ani; as well as representatives of the Danish Consulate and other leading maritime organisations.

President of the Maritime Forum, Dare Tunde Damilola, described the 10th anniversary edition as more than a commemorative event, saying it represents a legacy platform aimed at strengthening collaboration between academia and industry while preparing the next generation of maritime professionals and policymakers.

According to him, the conference seeks to stimulate meaningful conversations on the future of Nigeria’s maritime industry, bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry practice, encourage innovation and leadership among young people, deepen stakeholder engagement across the maritime ecosystem, and create opportunities for networking, mentorship and career development.
Also speaking, Olumuyiwa Akande, Group Head, Corporate Communications at SIFAX Group, said the company’s sustained support for the conference underscores its commitment to developing human capital for the maritime sector.
He noted that TAAM has become a strategic platform for connecting academic knowledge with practical industry experience while inspiring university students to pursue careers in the maritime industry.
A major highlight of this year’s event will be the anniversary edition of the Blueprint Debate Competition, one of the conference’s flagship intellectual programmes.
Since its inception alongside the conference in 2016, the competition has evolved into a nationally recognised platform where university students engage in rigorous debates on maritime, economic, governance and public policy issues, further reinforcing TAAM’s role in shaping informed future leaders for Nigeria’s maritime secto

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Headlines

NSC marks 31 years of maritime judicial capacity building with 18th international seminar for Judges

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter 

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, will commemorate 31 years of judicial capacity development in Nigeria’s maritime sector as it hosts the 18th International Maritime Seminar for Judges from July 22 to 24, 2026, in Abuja.

The biennial seminar, organised in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute (NJI), will take place at the Ballroom of the Ladi Kwali Conference Centre, Abuja Continental Hotel, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily.

Established in 1995, the International Maritime Seminar for Judges has become Nigeria’s foremost judicial capacity-building programme in maritime law and admiralty practice, providing a platform for strengthening the administration of maritime justice and aligning the country’s legal framework with evolving global standards.

This year’s edition is expected to bring together senior judicial officers, maritime law experts, policymakers, regulators and industry stakeholders from Nigeria and across Africa to deliberate on contemporary legal issues affecting the maritime industry.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, will chair the event, while the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, will serve as the Chief Host.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is the Host of the seminar.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, will attend as the Distinguished Guest of Honour, while the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, will participate as the Special Guest of Honour.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), will grace the occasion as the Guest of Honour.

The seminar is designed to enhance the capacity of judges and legal practitioners in maritime adjudication, promote consistency in judicial decisions and strengthen the legal environment required to facilitate international trade, attract investment and support the sustainable growth of Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.

Participants will examine a wide range of emerging issues in maritime law through presentations by distinguished jurists, renowned maritime lawyers, academics and international experts.

Key discussion areas include the implementation of the Admiralty Jurisdiction (Procedure) Rules, 2023, ship mortgages and judicial sale of ships, maritime cargo claims under the port concession regime, arbitration and hybrid dispute resolution mechanisms, as well as the legal implications of demurrage, detention and storage charges in international shipping.

The seminar will also explore how Nigeria’s maritime dispute resolution system can be better aligned with international best practices to improve investor confidence and enhance the competitiveness of the country’s maritime sector.

In a demonstration of its growing continental relevance, the event is expected to attract Chief Justices from The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia and Sierra Leone, alongside judges from their respective judiciaries.

Also expected are Justices of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, Judges of the Federal and State High Courts, legal advisers, in-house counsel, maritime practitioners, academics, regulators and other stakeholders from across the maritime industry.

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council said the seminar underscores its enduring commitment to strengthening maritime justice through continuous judicial engagement, knowledge sharing and the development of a robust legal framework capable of supporting efficient dispute resolution, facilitating trade and advancing Nigeria’s marine and blue economy agenda.

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