Headlines

Why Kenya has been preferred candidate for IMO category C ahead of Nigeria

President Uhuru Kenyatta tours the modern shipyard at the Mtongwe Navy base in Mombasa after commissioning it on December 17, 2021

Eyewitness reporter

Kenya has continued to develop its maritime infrastructure to position itself in the global maritime industry.

This has given the East African country an edge over Nigeria in the International Maritime Organisation(IMO) where it has consistently beaten Nigeria to the category C seat.

In 2019, Nigeria lost the seat by one vote to Kenya.

In the just-concluded 2021 edition of the IMO elections in London, while Nigeria failed in its sixth attempt to clinch the seat, Kenya retained the diadem in the council elections.

What makes Kenya thick in maritime Industry.

The East African country has continued to develop indigenous capacity in shipbuilding and repairs.

Last week, the country unveiled the largest shipyard in sub-Saharan Africa

The modern shipyard was located at the Mtongwe Navy base in Mombasa, making her the first country in sub-Saharan Africa with such a facility.

Kenya Shipyards Ltd (KSL) has the capacity to handle vessels of more than 4,000 tonnes and 150 metres and will boost the East African country’s status as a maritime hub.

The new facility has the longest slipway, a platform on which ships are secured and winched out of the water into a working area for construction, repair, refitting and maintenance.

The modern shipyard has two ship-building hangers, one 150 metres long and 30 metres high and a smaller one 120 metres long, 20 metres high and 13 metres wide.

President Uhuru Kenyatta officially opened the facility as Kenya eyes the lucrative shipbuilding and repair business.

The Navy project in Mtongwe gives Kenya a competitive advantage in shipbuilding and maritime engineering in eastern and central Africa, with the inauguration of a marine academy in Kisumu helping to boost human resource training for sustainable growth of the industry.

Certified ship welders

KSL will for the first time in Kenya’s history employ its own certified ship welders, which is part of the Kenyan government’s agenda to create over 10,000 jobs per year in the maritime sector, considering all ship welders in Kenya are foreign.

“In the project, Kenya, which owns about 17 military ships, seeks to save $6,800 million per vessel in maintenance fees every 10 years considering that since independence, all Kenyan ships have been serviced and maintained overseas, either in Spain or Netherlands.

Every ship has a lifespan of 10-15 years before a full makeover,” says a notice from the Kenya Defence Forces.

KSL is the anchor industry for the blue economy and will provide civil and modular infrastructure workshops, slipways, jetties, bridges and others required to support the maritime industry.

Kenya has already formed a full department on the national blue economy, which will require specialised vessels such as deep-sea fishing in the exclusive economic zone, where vast untapped marine fisheries resources are found.

Securing Kenya’s marine assets requires well-equipped vessels and KSL will play a key role in offering technical support.

Ship construction in Kenya is not a new concept.

The country built its first vessel – the MV Uhuru II – at the Kisumu port more than 70 years ago.

This is an example of how improving shipping and maritime infrastructure is a key component in Kenya’s economic roadmap, by harnessing maritime resources to propel its industrialisation agenda under Vision 2030.

The global market for ship construction, estimated at $126 billion in 2020, is dominated by South Korea (40 per cent), China (25 per cent) and Japan (15 per cent).

The global maritime trade value is worth $14 trillion, of which 40 per cent, worth $5.6 trillion, passes through the east coast of Africa.

This means that Kenya will for the first time have the chance to access $ 5.6 trillion of the trade that takes place in this region of Africa by ensuring ships pass through Kenya to undergo repair and maintenance.

Maritime stakeholders believed that not until Nigeria starts to harness its boundless maritime potentials will it be taken seriously by the global players who have consecutively denied the country to seat at the global maritime Council.

They pointed to a lot of gaps in the efforts of the government to develop the industry and harness its potentials.

They also decried the inability of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA) to deploy the multi-billion naira floating dockyard which has since been bogged down by controversies several years after it was purchased.

Related Topics:featured Kenya in IMO Council

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Customs

Tinubu celebrates Adeniyi on his 59th birthday

–lists his achievements

Funso OLOJO

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has joined millions of well wishers across the globe to celebrate Adewale Adeniyi, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi as he turns 59 years on Sunday, January 19th, 2025.

In his birthday message made available through his Special Adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu lauded the innovative and inspiring leadership of Adeniyi which he noted has impacted greatly on the image and performance of the service.

While listing the achievements of the customs in terms of revenue generation, trade facilitation, automation and digitization of the service, anti- smuggling activities as well as bolstered staff morale under the dexterious guidance of Adeniyi, President Tinubu wished him divine wisdom, robust health, and continued strength as he serves the nation.

“Under his guidance, the agency has witnessed significant progress through the steady digitalisation and automation of its operations, a renewed commitment to professionalism, and an uplift in officers’ morale, enhancing high performance.

“His leadership has enabled the NCS to surpass revenue targets substantially and bolstered trade facilitation, yielding widespread positive effects on the national economy.

“President Tinubu applauds the innovative anti-smuggling strategies initiated by the Customs Chief.

“These strategies encompass equipping the youth with new skills for alternative livelihood opportunities, fostering engagements with traditional institutions, and nurturing a culture of effective communication and mutual respect.

“The President recognises the Comptroller-General’s other notable achievements, including the remarkable seizures of arms and ammunition and the revitalisation of the Comptroller-General’s Annual Conference, which aims to assess and enhance the agency’s operations.

“President Tinubu affirms that Adeniyi’s extensive experience of over 30 years in service and adaptability to change has greatly enriched the Customs Service.

“The President offers prayers for divine wisdom, robust health, and continued strength for Comptroller-General Adeniyi as he serves the nation.

Headlines

EFCC discovers Yahoo training school in Benin city

-arrests 25 students undergoing training in cybercrimes

Funso OLOJO

The operatives of the Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has on Thursday January 16th, 2025, uncovered a Yahoo academy in Benin city, Edo State, where young Nigerians are undergoing training in the act of internet fraud.

During the raid, the anti- graft agency arrested 25 suspected internet fraudsters in the cybercrimes training centre

The suspects’ arrest at their hideout was triggered by credible intelligence that indicated the apartment being used as a yahoo academy or training school for internet-related fraud and other fraudulent activities.

Items recovered from the suspects include six exotic cars, laptops and phones.

The suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

Customs

Onyeka, Tin Can CAC, set to pursue revenue generation aggressively

— vows to surpass 1 trillion naira revenue record

Funso OLOJO

The Area Controller of the Tin Can island command of the Nigeria customs service, Comptroller Frank Onyeka, has set an ambitious goal of meeting and surpassing the one trillion naira revenue mark achieved last year by his predecessor, ACG Dera Nnadi.

It would be recalled that the command was given a revenue target of N1.4 trillion in 2024 while it realized a little about N1.226 trillion ,an unprecedented record that was never achieved in the history of the command.

Meanwhile, Comptroller Onyeka, has vowed to sustain the revenue momentum as he would aggressively pursue revenue collection.

Speaking while playing host to the Executive council of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria(MARAN) which paid him a courtesy visit in his office on Friday, January 17th, 2025, the Customs chief disclosed his strategy to carry out his assignment.

According to him, he would facilitate legitimate trade, ensure 100 percent examination of all imports while he would energise his men and officers to key into his vision.

“I’ll facilitate trade, but it has to be legitimate trade. That’s what I feel I should do in the strict sense.

“You know, I’m coming from the aspect of revenue. So, it is my prayer and my hope to meet my target and surpass it.

“But principally, what I am going to fight is the ability to do this job without examination.

“I have appealed to my officers, whatever it is they have to do, let them see the containers, once we’ve examined them, everything should be on cruise control because if you examine, you’ll now know if it’s supposed to go out or not.

“I’ve involved Customs Intelligence Unit, CIU, I’ve involved Valuation Unit, I’ve spoken to all relevant Units and it’s my prayer, by the grace of God, that all of us will be on the same page to make sure that the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is brought to fruition” he noted.

He was full of gratitude to the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi , for the confidence reposed in him and vowed never to disappoint him.

“I also appreciate the fact that our indefatigable Comptroller General Of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi to whom I’m very grateful.

“He needs to be made to know that he didn’t make any mistake for him to have brought me here.

“I am very grateful to him and his management team, and I need to make him proud” he enthused.

Comptroller Onyeka also vowed to build on the foundation that has been laid by his predecessor, Assistant Comptroller General Dera Nnadi.

“In anti-smuggling, he did well. In revenue generation, he did superbly well, same goes for infrastructure development.

“His Public Relations was top-notch, which I’m going to leverage.

“He was fortunate to have what I consider a very fantastic rapport with the media because that’s his background. I intend to leverage that. I intend to do better in that aspect” he added.

Earlier, in his address, the President of MARAN, Mr Godfrey Bivbere expressed the willingness of the association to partner with the CAC and the Command to achieve the target ahead of the command.

He reiterated the firm resolution of the association to accord Comptroller Onyeka the same support accorded to his predecessor.