Headlines

NIMASA promotes anti-piracy efforts in Gulf of Guinea

One of the attack boats under Nigeria's deep blue project

Eyewitness News

Of all the 20 African countries which border the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria is unarguably the only country at the forefront to restore security to the notoriously troubled region.

The country has consistently committed huge resources and engaged in strategic partnerships with foreign countries in a bid to decimate pirate attacks in the region.

The most ambitious of such commitment was the multi-million dollars deep blue project which was launched and deployed in June 2021 aimed at keeping the Nigerian territorial waters safe and by extension, to keep the dare-devil pirates at bay from the Gulf of Guinea.

In addition, the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the lead government agency in charge of maritime safety and security in the country, has also embarked on an international campaign to sell the efforts of the Federal government in the Gulf of Guinea.

One of such several efforts to sell to the international community the gradual declining activities of pirates in the Gulf of Guinea was by the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh at an international round table entitled “Seafarers and Maritime Capacity at the Core of Africa’s Shipping Future,” where he highlighted recent declines both in kidnappings and attacks on ships at anchor in the country.

This campaign was part of measures by the Nigerian authorities to highlight the decline of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea as they work to rehabilitate the reputation of the region and attract new investments.

The Nigerian government was promoting the overall decline in activity while saying that it was also working to expand the efforts and further involve forces ranging from the police to the navy to continue the progress.

“There has been a decline in piracy attacks in the Gulf of Guinea, as the region recorded 28 incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the first nine months of 2021, in comparison to 46 for the same period in 2020,” Jamoh said during his presentation.

“Crew kidnappings in the region have dropped with only one crew member kidnapped in Q3 2021, compared to 31 crew members taken in five separate incidents during Q3 2020.”

However, stakeholders said these presentations highlighting the decline in kidnappings, came as details continued to filter out on the latest incident involving a containership in the region.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland provided some of the first official details following reports by the security services and a brief statement from the Danish Foreign Ministry.

The Polish Ministry confirmed that one of the six individuals taken was a Polish citizen and said it was working on the return of their seafarer.

The incident took place on December 13, but there was some confusion on the exact number of people involved as some crew members were thought to be hiding on the containership.

The containership, the Greek-owned Tonsberg, is a 5,551 TEU vessel operating under charter to CMA CGM and is registered in Liberia.

It is believed that six crew members were kidnapped and a seventh received a gunshot wound and was being treated aboard a Danish frigate.

Dryad reported that this latest incident brought the total to 10 incidents with 76 crew abducted this year.

Speaking at the conference, Nigeria officials cited the economic impact as well as environmental pollution from the piracy activity. They admitted that the attacks were taking place in anchorages and various parts of the country, but said they were meeting with the police to better coordinate efforts with the Navy.

“It impacted the seafarers and shipping economically such as loss of revenue due to illegal activities, high insurance premium, a threat to commerce, socially such as arm and drug smuggling, and kidnapping,” they said during the presentation but promised that they were committed to continuing the progress cited by Jamoh.

The NIMASA boss however disclosed that various interventions had been introduced to address the situation, including passage of new legislation and review of local laws.

In June 2021, Nigeria launched a coordinated programme known as Deep Blue which was outfitted with a broad range of equipment to combat piracy both at the bases as well as in the country’s territorial waters.

International forces are seeking to supplement the effort, but as the Danes highlighted in the recent incident, they were barred from following the pirates with the kidnapped crew when they entered territorial waters.

Concerned stakeholders however warned that the Nigerian government should not concede the initiatives in the fight against pirates in the Gulf of Guinea to the foreign powers as the case seems to be at the present.

They advised that the fight should be a joint efforts with the Nigeria Navy and other local forces to earn Nigeria the deserved respect in the international community.

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Headlines

NIWA partners ICPC to strengthen internal transparency in its operations

Gloria Odion, Maritime Reporter

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has announced new strategies aimed at improving its operational system and enhancing collaboration with key stakeholders as part of efforts to boost efficiency and accountability.

Speaking at a post event Press Conference at NIWA Headquarters Lokoja, the Acting Managing Director, Umar Yusuf Girei, while answering questions from journalists stated that, the organization convened a two -day Executive and Anti-Corruption training with the theme “Strengthening Integrity and Revenue System in Inland Waterways Management” organized for Board Members, Management and Area Managers and also 2026 NIWA Management Retreat in Abuja.

The Acting MD noted as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,with the support Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, the Authority is focused on aligning institutional goals in ensuring better service delivery to Nigerians.

He further said, as part of its anti-corruption drive, the Management held discussions with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to explore measures for strengthening transparency within its operations.

Girei therefore, assured staff that the ongoing reforms under his watch would translate into improved service and better working conditions.

“NIWA remains committed to continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement and the reforms are expected to enhance both internal performance and public confidence”. he stated.

Headlines

Navy appoints new Maritime Guard Commander for NIMASA

Gloria Odion, Maritime Reporter

The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has approved the appointment of Commodore Reginald Odeodi Adoki as the Commander of the Maritime Guard Command at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

Commodore Adoki takes over from Commodore H.C Oriekeze who has been redeployed.

Commodore Adoki, a principal Warfare Officer specializing in communication and intelligence, brings onboard 25 years experience in the Nigerian Navy covering training, staff and operations.

As a seaman, he has commanded NNS Andoni, NNS Kyanwa and NNS Kada.

It was under his command that NNS Kada under took her maiden voyage, sailing from the country of build (the United Arab Emirates) into Nigeria.

He was commissioned into the Nigerian Navy in 2000 with a BSc in Mathematics.

He has since earned a Masters in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos and an M.Sc in Terrorism, Security and Policing at University of Leicester, England.

He is currently pursuing a Ph.D in Defence and Security Studies at the National Defence Academy (NDA).

He is a highly decorated officer with several medals for distinguished service.

Welcoming the new MGC Commander to the Agency, the Director General, Dr Dayo Mobereola, expressed confidence in Adoki’s addition to the team, emphasising that it will further strengthen the nation’s maritime security architecture given his vast experience in the industry.

The Maritime Guard Command domiciled in NIMASA was established as part of the resolutions of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Navy to assist NIMASA strengthen operational efficiency in Nigeria’s territorial waters, especially through enforcement of security, safety and other maritime regulations.

Customs

Customs collects N1.585 trillion from 51 compliant traders under AEO programme

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Authorized Economic Operator (AEO), one of the trade facilitation tools introduced by the Nigeria Customs Service in 2025, has begun to yield bountiful harvests with the revenue growth of ₦362.79 billion recorded in 2025.

According to the AEO scorecard released by the Service, the facilitation tool grossed the sum of N1.585 trillion after certification, an increase revenue from N1.222 trillion before certification.

This represents the growth of N362.79 billion(29.68 per cent) for 51 AEO – certified entities as at October, 2025.

The Programme, according to the NCS, also contributed 21.77% to its total revenue collection of ₦7.281 trillion in 2025, while customs duties paid rose by 85.66% due to enhanced compliance and increased volumes of legitimate trade.

According to AEO Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Report, the Programme achieved an average compliance rate of 85.45 per cent with the highest at 100 per cent and the lowest at 60 per cent.

“The evaluation applied rigorous methodologies to ensure objectivity, transparency, and alignment with the World Customs Organisation (WCO) SAFE Framework of Standards and the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.

“In the area of trade facilitation, AEO participation reduced average cargo clearance time from 168 hours to 41 hours, representing a 75.60% time saving.

“Company operating costs declined by 57.2 per cent while demurrage payments dropped by 90 per cent, limiting capital flight to foreign-owned port service providers and strengthening foreign exchange retention.

” Overall trade efficiency improved by 77.11 per through digitalisation, simplified procedures, and targeted risk management” the Customs declared in the AEO scorecard.

However, the Service singled out with Eight companies for commendation due to their integrity and compliance under the programme.

The companies include Coleman Technical Industries Limited, WACOT Rice Limited, ROMSON Oil Field Services Ltd, WACOT Limited, Chi Farms Ltd, CORMART Nigeria Ltd, PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited and MTN Nigeria Communications Plc.

The Service lauded them for a cumulative voluntary remittance of over a billion naira into the Federation Account following their self-initiated transaction review and disclosure.

“These actions reflect the strengthening of post-clearance audit mechanisms and a growing culture of voluntary compliance within the trading community.

Nevertheless, the Service suspended a firm under the programme for its non- compliance and display of lack of integrity.

The suspended firm engaged in false declaration of consignments contrary to programme obligations.

“Consequently, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, directed the immediate suspension of the company’s AEO status in accordance with the AEO Guidelines, the WCO SAFE Framework of Standards, and Section 112 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.

The NCS reiterated that the AEO Programme is founded on trust, transparency, and continuous compliance.

“While compliant operators will continue to benefit from expedited clearance and reduced inspection, appropriate sanctions will be applied where violations are established.

“The Service remains resolute in safeguarding national revenue, facilitating legitimate trade, and preserving the integrity and global credibility of Nigeria’s AEO framework” the NCS concluded in the report.