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Poor utilisation of Africa’s waterways stunts trade growth in the continent- Expert

Eyewitness reporter
Mrs Dabney Shall-Holma, the Chairperson of Sealink Implementation Committee, has identified underutilisation of Africa’s vast inland waterways for its inability to deepen trading activities in the continent.

Shall-Holma, a former Director in the Nigerian Shippers’Council,  observed that deepening trade entails making use of every mode, linkage and transportation mode available to ensure goods were moved from one place to the other.

According to her, there are endless opportunities in the area of water transportation for goods that can be opened up to enhance trade in Africa.

She said that Sealink was looking at exploiting the rivers that could be used for shipping cargoes across Africa.

She said that the Nile river, which was about 6,650 nautical miles in length, flowed down to Ethiopia and sometimes beyond the Blue and White Nile.

“So, these are tributaries that are actually flowing into the Nile. If we open up that as we have already started talking to the Zambezi and talking to Tanzania.

“If we open up that and Egypt re-echoes the development, you know what will happen to the entire eastern flank of Africa.

“In West Africa, we have the Congo River that is just below us and the Niger River. Niger River is a very long river, it’s actually only shorter than the Nile River.

“So we are proud we are sitting on the Niger River and we must utilise that opportunity because it is an opportunity that has been with us.

“The British came and used it for well over 100 years. But we have just come and we are looking at the fishes, the tilapia and the croakers that are in the river.

“And we do not know that can open up a new window, a very fresh window for growth and development. Nothing grows a nation like connectivity and accessibility.”

She also said that a feasibility study was carried out on the coast of Namibia all the way to Senegal in the West and Central African sub-region.

Also, there was the possibility of linking some of the islands that were on the Atlantic Ocean to enhance trade along that region.

She added that it would be more profitable for any shipping link to take in all the cargo that it could take on the Atlantic Ocean.

She said this prompted the organisation to show interest in Cape Verde in the Northern Atlantic, Sao Tome and Principe and then Equatorial Guinea, in the Gulf of Guinea.

She said this was done to confirm the veracity of the claims of importers and exporters, that cargoes leaving West Africa were going somewhere else for trans-shipment.

According to the chairperson, this will amount to double or triple costing.

She, however, said that most of the countries along the West and Central African subregion were now very proud to claim that they have better ports and infrastructure.

Shall-Holma added that they had also improved their logistics and their value chains were at nearly 50 percent to 60 percent.

Sealink Project is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement established to promote the development of a regional maritime company that would remove the bottlenecks and non-tariff measures along the ECOWAS trade corridor.

It was conceived based on the need of importers, exporters and shippers to create a value chain that would sustain the economy of Nigeria and develop additional networks to trade with other African countries.

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Customs

Korea deepens collaboration with Nigeria Customs, fetes Adeniyi

Funso OLOJO
The Embassy of the Republic of Korea hosted a formal dinner on Thursday, 31 October 2024, in honour of the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Adewale Adeniyi and members of his management team at the Embassy in Abuja.
 The event underscored the strengthening of bilateral relations and the shared objectives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Korean authorities.
CGC Adeniyi, accompanied by senior officers including Deputy Comptroller-General (DCG) of Human Resource Development, Greg Itotoh, DCG of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, and DCG of ICT-Modernisation, Kikelomo Adeola, expressed his appreciation for Korea’s commitment to partnership. In his address, CGC Adeniyi highlighted the progress achieved through collaboration with the Embassy of Korea and other allied agencies, noting how these relationships have enhanced the NCS’s capacity to adopt advanced technologies.
“It is due to our dedicated partnerships that the NCS is now engaged in data analytics programmes, in alignment with World Customs Organization standards,” CGC Adeniyi stated. He elaborated on how these analytics enable the Service to make informed decisions, benefiting from predictive, descriptive, and prescriptive insights. “Learning from global leaders, like Korean Customs, has empowered us to adapt and refine our data-driven strategies,” he added.
The Korean Ambassador, His Excellency Kim Pankym, commended the CGC and his team for their dedication and expressed optimism about continued collaboration. “We are honoured by the Comptroller-General’s presence here tonight, and we look forward to further strengthening ties with the Nigeria Customs Service,” Ambassador Pankym said.
He emphasised the Embassy’s commitment to supporting the growth and modernisation of the NCS.
In his remarks, DCG Greg Itoto expressed the Service’s appreciation for Korea’s proactive engagement with NCS initiatives. “The Embassy’s support and willingness to partner with us are instrumental in driving our Service to greater heights.
“We look forward to continued growth through these collaborations,” Itotoh stated.
The evening reflected the deepening relations between the two nations and affirmed Korea’s dedication to Nigeria’s customs modernisation and capacity-building efforts.
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Oyebamiji, NIWA boss, assures international community of Nigeria’s irrevocable commitment to secure, safe waterways transportation 

Funso OLOJO
The Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji, has taken his campaign for safe and secure water transportation in Nigeria to the international audience in London where he reiterated the irrevocable commitment of the Authority to accident -free navigation on Nigeria’ s inland waterways.
Oyebamiji, who was  in London, attending the 46th Consultative Conference of Contracting Parties in International Maritime Organization, (IMO) Headquarters in the United Kingdom, vowed that no stone would be left unturned to champion the constitutional obligations of the Authority and achieve its mandate under the umbrella of Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said the safety on Nigerian Waterways remains nonnegotiable as the Authority was irrevocably committed to nip in the bud the scourge of boat mishaps occasioned by noncompliance with the safety standards by the reckless boat operators and defaulters.
NIWA boss further disclosed said insights at the ongoing conference would further help to improve and develop Nigeria’s inland waterways for navigation as part of the cardinal objectives of the Authority.
Oyebamiji joined other stakeholders, intellectuals and experts in the maritime sector across the globe, where they are dissecting the topical issues bordering on Marine Geoengineering; Marine Litter and Microplastics and CO2 Sequestration in order to decisively tackle critical ocean challenges across the world.
According to him, by implementing the London Protocol, Nigeria can significantly advance its inland waterways sector, aligning it with sustainable international practices, protecting marine ecosystems and strengthening socio-economic benefits.
The Protocol which has serious implications on the Nigerian Maritime sector is centered on issues relating to inland waterways as it shapes environmental practices, safety and sustainability.
Some of the issues being deliberated on were; environmental protection; strengthened waste management practices; international compliance and standards; capacity building and training; enhanced monitoring and enforcement; support for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and health and livelihood support respectively.
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Bello, Ex Kogi gov.,shuns court proceedings as EFCC seeks his trial in absentia

The Eyewitness Reporter 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC)on Wednesday October 30, 2024 asked Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, to proceed with the trial of a former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello in absentia, arguing that his non-appearance in court for arraignment should not be allowed to frustrate his trial.

The EFCC through its lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, also urged the court to enter a plea of “not guilty” on behalf of Bello.

Bello is facing trial on 19-count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80.2billion.

The court had summoned him for arraignment six consecutive times.

Pinheiro told the court that the former governor’s refusal to appear for his arraignment was malicious and that the court should not demonstrate helplessness by not trying him in absentia.

“A court can never demonstrate helplessness. That would be an indication of anarchy and society is based on the rule of law.

“The court demonstrating helplessness will negate the basis of the rule of law,” he said.

Arguing further, the EFCC’s counsel reminded the court that a defendant’s refusal to engage the court’s processes should not frustrate his trial, maintaining that justice is a three-way mechanism.

 “A criminal trial must not be held hostage, truncated or frustrated by a defendant’s refusal to engage the process.

“Justice is a three-way street:  justice to the defendant, justice to the prosecution who has assembled witnesses and justice to the society”.

Earlier in his submissions, he urged the court to enter a not guilty plea for Bello to pave the way for his trial contending that under Section 276 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, a defendant’s physical presence in court is not an absolute requirement for arraignment.

“The right to plead guilty or not guilty is a right that can be waived by the defendant,” adding that Bello’s absence should not impede the case.

“My first application is to formally enter a plea of not guilty to the defendant, even in his absence.

“The second point is, notwithstanding his physical absence, trial can proceed. What prejudice will the defendant suffer if my lord enters a plea of guilty or not guilty in his absence?

” Even if he was in court and pleaded not guilty, the situation would still be the same.

“The entry of a plea of not guilty by your lordship is an invitation to the prosecution to come and prove the veracity of the allegations”, he said.

In response, counsel for the defendant, Michael Adoyi, opposed the prosecution’s motion, citing a previous court order requiring the defendant’s presence before any applications could be entertained.

He emphasized that the application was contrary to the court’s directive issued earlier.

 “Our first point of response to the application made by the learned senior counsel to the complainant is that the application is made contrary to the subsisting order of this honourable court, even made this morning, that no application can be entertained by this court in the absence of the arraignment of the defendant,” he said.

Pinheiro rebutted Adoyi’s argument, urging the court to reject the defence’s position and proceed with the plea entry, assuring that it would not infringe on the defendant’s rights or affect the trial’s fairness.

Justice Nwite, after listening to both parties, noted that a ruling on the matter may not be possible within the current year due to court schedules.

 “It may not be possible to deliver this ruling this year”

 Pinheiro then proposed that the matter be adjourned for ruling and arraignment, which Justice Nwite granted, adjourning the case until January 21, 2025.

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