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Disagreement between Ministers of Transportation, Finance stalls CVFF disbursement

— I am handicapped, Ameachi laments

— We are resolving the technical hitches, Jamoh assures

Eyewitness reporter
The distraught indigenous ship owners, who have gone wary of endless wait for over 17 years for the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessels Financing Funds (CVFFN) that never was, may have to brace for a long wait as the controversial funds will not be disbursed any time soon.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi, has declared that the Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, has protested against the presidential approval to disburse the funds.
Speaking to journalists Friday in Lagos at the two-day ministerial retreat for agencies under the Ministry, Ameachi pointedly accused the Minister of Finance of truncating the disbursement of the long-awaited CVFF.
“The President has approved, he said go ahead and disburse. The Attorney-General of the Federation said the law says it is private funds and you can go ahead and disburse.
“But the Minister of Finance protested and said no, the money is a public fund and so cannot be dispensed.
“So what do I do?’ the Minister asked rhetorically.
“I am handicapped”, he confessed.
However, he asked the owners of the funds to take their own destiny into their own hands by protesting to the President through a letter which they should copy him to enable him to go back to Mr President on this case.
“The owners of money should therefore write to the President and copy me and I will then go back to the President.
“The law says the money is not public funds. The Minister of Finance does not have the right to advise that it is public funds.
“Now that the owners of the funds are aware, they should write to say ‘we are aware of the approval and we are also aware of the protest by the Minister of Finance.
“If I have the letter, I will go back to the President” Ameachi reiterated.

Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance

However,  the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) tried to mitigate the candour and forthright approach of the Minister to the bureaucratic bottleneck that has dogged the CVFF disbursement.
He acknowledged that there are problems of technicalities over the disbursement of the CVFF which his agency was working to resolve before the funds could be disbursed.
“The Minister said he spent two years to get the approval from the President for the disbursement of the funds.
“But he was made to understand between the Ministry of Finance and NIMASA that approval has been tinkered with.
“There were changes to the approval given by the President and that changes have to do with from where the money has to be disbursed.
“NIMASA was not a party to that”
“The money is presently in the TSA and the directive we were given was to disburse the funds from the commercial banks.
“So when the Minister sought the approval of the President to disburse the funds, the Finance Ministry rejected the option of disbursing the funds through the commercial banks.
“So the approval came in the second time but that the disbursement has to be made from the TSA, that is, the CBN.
“What the  Minister was saying is that the guidelines stipulate that the money should be disbursed through the Primary Lending Institution (PLIs) and the CBN is not a PLI because it is not a commercial bank.
“The approval that came in now says disburse it through the CBN.
“What we are doing now is to find out how we can wriggle ourselves out through the utilisation of the TSA, that is, CBN and without tinkering with the existing laws or the guidelines by the National Assembly which says the funds should come through the commercial banks.

Bashir Jamoh, NIMASA DG

“So what did we do?. We still went ahead, advertised expression of interest.
“11 banks applied. We have sent the names of the 11 banks to the Minister.
“According to the guidelines, the Minister will be the one to select the four PLIs among the 11 banks sent to him.
“In doing so, he has directed me to clear some issues which I have already made clear during my presentation at the retreat.
“These are the things he wanted me to do and by the time am finished with the directive, I will revert to him with the answers.
“From that answers, if the Minister is cleared about them, he would now appoint the four PLIs from the 11 shortlisted banks sent to him.
“With the PLIs approved, NIMASA and stakeholders will sit down and say ok, you PLIs, the money is not with you, but with the CBN.
“How do you involve yourselves (PLIs) with this particular transaction without having the funds in your kitty?
“Or are you(PLIs)  going to talk to the CBN, after selecting successful companies?
“The CBN will then forward the money to the PLIs, that is, if a company succeeds in its application for the funds, the money will not be given to such company directly but go through the PLIs because PLIs have to contribute.
“We still abide by the Federal government directive because we are sending it to the successful companies through the PLIs because we have to recover the money, banks have to recover the money.
“This is where we are going. That is why the Minister said there was a problem with the disbursement of the funds.
“That is the problem.
“There are technical hitches.
“The first approval to the Minister was that he could go ahead and disburse.
“He then came and said ok, let us transfer the money in the TSA from the CBN to the commercial banks.
“But the Ministry of Finance said no and they went to the President and said the money should be disbursed directly from the TSA which is domiciled with the CBN.”, concluded Jamoh.
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Headlines

NIMASA deepens maritime security as 492 Deep Blue personnel graduate in tactical training.

Funso OLOJO, Port Harcourt.
The Nigeria’s maritime security received a massive boost as 492 personnel of the iconic Deep Blue project have graduated from tactical trainings received across some of the best security institutions in the world.
Unveiling the graduants in their tactical attires at the Elele military barrack, Port Harcourt, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Administration( NIMASA), Dr Dayo Mobereola, said the occasion gave the agency a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment on its task to ensure Nigeria’s maritime domain is secured.
According to him, the 492 graduating Deep Blue personnel undergone specialized trainings conducted across several strategic training locations across the world, including Italy, Switzerland, Australia, Syria and
Nigeria.
He disclosed that the training has therefore exposed the personnel, taken from across different units of the Deep Blue project, to global best practices and international operational standards in maritime security operations.
“Today’s event is a demonstration of
operational readiness, institutional resilience and Nigeria’s determination to maintain a safe, secure and economically viable maritime environment.
“With many people are not fully aware of the level of operations and integration and technological capacity that supports these achievements.
“The Deep Blue architecture integrates two special mission aircraft equipped with advanced maritime surveillance sensors, three special mission helicopters for over-the-sea operations and surveillance, two special mission vessels for deep sea operations, eight unmanned aerial vehicles for real-time intelligence gathering, 16 fast interception boats for rapid tactical response and 15 armed coastal patrol vessels.
” The Command, Control, Communication, Computer and Intelligence Center, the C4I, serves as
the central coordination hub for military domain awareness and operational response.
“As many of you may recall, the Gulf of Guinea was once regarded as one of the most challenging military
maritime regions in the world due to incidents of piracy and robbery.
“Today, through the Deep Blue project and the collective efforts of all stakeholders, we are proud to say that Nigeria has
transformed the narrative which has resulted in zero piracy incidents since 2022.
“This has restored trust among global shipping operators, investors, and maritime stakeholders.
Mobereola expressed appreciation the Minister of Marine and Blue
Economy, Adeboyega Oyetola, for what he described as his exemplary leadership, strategic guidance, and steadfast commitment to promoting maritime security initiatives in Nigeria.
He also acknowledged the role the  Minister of Defense, General
Christopher Musa and the Minister of State for Defense, Dr. Belo
Matawale for their continued support and commitment towards strengthening national security and enhancing interagency cooperation in the maritime domain.
Mobereola commended  the Nigerian Navy, Air Force, Army, the Nigerian Police Force, the Department of State Services, (DSS) and all security and intelligence agencies whose professionalism and
cooperation continue to strengthen the operational success of the Deep Blue project.
Hee made special mention of Deep Blue project technical partner HLSI, Security Systems Technologies Limited, for their invaluable support, technical expertise, commitment to capacity development, and strategic partnership in the implementation and sustainability of the Deep Blue project.
NIMASA DG also congratulated the graduating personnel  for successfully completing the important steps of their professional journey.
“This strength you have received comes with enormous responsibility as you are expected to uphold high standards of professionalism, discipline, integrity, and the discharge of your duties.
Tge event was by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola,  the  Minister of Defense, General
Christopher Musa and the Minister of State for Defense, Dr. Belo
Matawale, high military personnel from Navy, Army and Sir force.
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Headlines

WHO honors NFVCB over tobacco control in entertainment industry

Funso OLOJO, Editor 
The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has been honoured with the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General’s Special Award, African Region, receiving a Certificate of Appreciation for its outstanding contributions to tobacco control advocacy and the promotion of responsible media content in Nigeria.
 The NFVCB is the only institution among the five-person African Region winners unveiled as part of the activities commemorating World No Tobacco Day.
This recognition by the DG of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, acknowledges the Board’s leadership in regulating the depiction and promotion of tobacco and nicotine products in Nigerian films, music videos, skits, and other audiovisual content, particularly those accessible to young audiences.
 The WHO Director-General’s Awards are presented annually ahead of World No Tobacco Day on May 31 to honour individuals and organizations across WHO’s six regions for exceptional work in advancing the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
NFVCB was recognized for its landmark 2024 regulations prohibiting the promotion, and glamourization of tobacco and nicotine products in entertainment content.
The regulations require that any necessary depiction of tobacco use in films and videos must carry health warnings, receive the highest classification rating, and be restricted to audiences aged 18 years and above.
The regulations also mandate producers to place a disclaimer and disclose any relationship with the tobacco and nicotine industry while prohibiting tobacco brand display and product placement in entertainment content.
The policy aligns with the implementation guidelines of Article 13 of the WHO FCTC on tobacco depiction in entertainment media.
With the introduction of the regulations, Nigeria became the first country in Africa and only the second globally to establish such comprehensive safeguards against the glamorization of tobacco use on screen.
Research and WHO guidance have consistently shown that the portrayal of tobacco use in entertainment media normalizes smoking behaviour and increases the likelihood of tobacco uptake among young people.
Through clear regulatory standards, the Board is helping to reduce exposure to pro-tobacco imagery while promoting socially responsible storytelling within Nigeria’s creative industry.
The recognition also aligns with the 8-Point Agenda of the Honourable Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa, aimed at strengthening policy frameworks, promoting responsible creative content, preserving cultural values, and positioning Nigeria as Africa’s creative capital by 2030.
Speaking on the recognition, the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NFVCB, Dr.Shaibu Husseini, described the award as a validation of the Board’s efforts toward promoting responsible storytelling and safeguarding public interest through effective content regulation.
“This award is a validation of the work we have done with the Nigerian creative industry to promote responsible storytelling.
“The goal has never been to censor art, but to ensure that our films do not inadvertently market products that are harmful to public health,” he stated.
 Dr. Husseini reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote healthy societal values, protect children and vulnerable audiences, and strengthen the positive influence of Nigeria’s entertainment industry globally.
The ED also expressed appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, filmmakers, producers, and advocacy partners, especially Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), National Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA), and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), for their collaboration in advancing the policy.
The Board stated that it would continue to strengthen enforcement of the regulations, expand public education and stakeholder engagement, and deepen collaboration with WHO, the WHO FCTC Secretariat, and relevant stakeholders in promoting responsible entertainment content and public health protection.
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Business

Taiwo Afolabi calls on African businesses to scale up their operations for global relevance

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter 
Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, Chairman, SIFAX Group, has called on African entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders to prioritise the growth of large, sustainable corporations capable of competing globally, rather than operating fragmented and small-scale enterprises that limit the continent’s economic potential.
Speaking at the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum held in Kigali, Rwanda, Afolabi said Africa’s economic transformation would depend significantly on the emergence of strong indigenous corporations with the scale, structure, and capacity to drive industrialisation, create jobs, attract investment, and compete internationally.
According to him, discussions at this year’s forum reinforced the urgent need for African businesses to embrace collaboration, long-term thinking, regional integration, and strategic expansion.
He said: “Africa cannot achieve its full economic potential with thousands of weak and fragmented businesses operating in silos.
“What the continent needs are strong institutions and large corporations that can survive beyond their founders, scale across borders, attract global capital, and compete with the best companies around the world.”
Afolabi noted that while entrepreneurship remains critical to Africa’s growth story, the continent must deliberately move beyond subsistence and lifestyle businesses towards building enduring enterprises with robust governance systems, innovation capacity, and continental reach.
He stressed that African governments, financial institutions, and private sector stakeholders must create enabling environments that support business scalability through improved infrastructure, access to finance, favourable regulations, and intra-African trade.
“The conversations at the Africa CEO Forum clearly showed that Africa’s future lies in integration and scale.
“The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presents a historic opportunity for businesses to expand beyond national borders and build truly pan-African enterprises,” he added.
Afolabi noted that SIFAX Group’s long-term vision is anchored on strengthening intra-African trade and supporting the successful implementation of AfCFTA through investments in logistics, ports, transportation, and digital finance solutions across Africa.
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