Headlines

NPA pledges support to establish arbitration centre in Lagos

Bello-Koko, Ag. NPA MD

—–as Bello-Koko reiterates NPA’s resolve to reopen training school to enhance manpower development

Eyewitness reporter

The Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has urged arbitrators to ensure quick and speedy resolution of disputes in the maritime industry even as he disclosed that the management of the agency has resolved to reopen the NPA training school to enhance manpower development.

He noted that failure to promptly address perceived grievances will be inimical to the growth and development of the sector.

He said to forestall situations that result in prolonged litigations among players in the industry, the NPA will support the Maritime Arbitrators of Nigeria (MAN) in its efforts to establish an Arbitration Centre in Lagos.

The centre, he assured, will help to fast track conflict resolution within Sub Saharan Africa, saying that disagreements are bound to happen amongst players in the Industry and urged stakeholders to approach the centre rather than take the path of litigations which are oftentimes not necessary, time-consuming and costly.

The NPA boss spoke in Lagos when he received the newly elected executives of the Maritime Arbitrators of Nigeria who visited him in his office.

Mr Koko expressed delight over the decades-long synergy between both agencies in the area of support, consultancy and exchange of ideas that has been beneficial to them and the industry at large.

The NPA boss lauded the impacts of maritime arbitrators in solving legal issues in the past, saying the NPA is poised to give all the necessary support to the body to achieve a conducive business environment.

Bello- Koko urged the group to further seek support from the authorities at the Ministry of Transport and Justice respectively which he explained would effectively enhance their operations at enforcement of disputes at the nation’s seaports.

The leader of the team, Mr Bodunrin Adewole said they were at the NPA to intimate the management of their recent election into the office and to solicit for the agency’s support.

He called for the establishment of a Complaint Desk at the Ports across the country just as it operates at other government agencies, stating that they will help fast track dispute resolution which the MAN authorities are willing to key into.

He reiterated that MAN is of the view that swift resolution of disputes at the ports would automatically enhance efficiency and also assist the NPA to realize its mission statement.

Meanwhile, manpower development in the Nigerian maritime industry is set to be enhanced with the planned reopening of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)’s training school following the renovation of the facility after years of being abandoned.

Acting Managing Director of the NPA, Mr. Mohammed Bello Koko affirmed that when training commences at the institution, it will alleviate the difficulties hitherto faced by stakeholders in locating training facilities for manpower development and capacity building and also save cost to the Authority.

Mr Bello-Koko spoke when he received the outgoing management team of the Nigerian Institute of Shipping (NIS) led by its Vice President, Chief Segun Olufioye Johnson who paid him a courtesy visit at the NPA’s Corporate Headquarters in Marina, Lagos.

He assured industry players of the agency’s willingness to partner with them in order to boost the manpower and capacity building in the sector, even as “we are ready to reach out to other various training institutes for the development of appropriate training curriculum”.

“We would also engage our retired staff who have vast knowledge to share in our dream of becoming the centre of skills and academic excellence.

According to him, the renovation of the NPA’s training facility is a testament to his administration’s commitment to ensure that adequate and recurrent training is undertaken as and when due by relevant workers in the maritime industry.

The NPA boss disclosed that the newly renovated NPA resource centre has the capacity to accommodate over 250 participants.

He said, “Management is proud of our workforce which can stand out anywhere in the world in the area of efficient delivery of Port services.”

He commended the outgoing NIS management for their immense contribution towards the development of the country’s maritime sector, pointing out that the synergy developed amongst relevant shipping agencies during their tenure in office was worthwhile, saying “your tenure has been rancour-free”.

Koko however assured them that his administration is open to ideas that will bring about positive development in the sector, especially in the drive towards achieving a hub status across the sub-region.

Earlier, the leader of the NIS delegation thanked the Koko- led management for the positive contributions it had recorded since the assumption of office which was undoubtedly phenomenal to the sub-sector.

He applauded the existing collaborations with the NPA that span over 25 years especially in the area of capacity development.

Chief Segun Olufioye Johnson explained that the NIS is seeking stronger ties with the NPA in the area of Research, Development and Consultancy.

He informed the Acting MD that as a result of the efforts made by the NIS in the past, the University of Lagos has established a centre for Multi modalism studies with emphasis on Rail, Road and Sea.

The NIS team later presented a pre-fellowship award to the NPA helmsman in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development of the sector.

Headlines

MWUN threatens to picket shipping companies, terminal operators over manipulation of pension remittances of seafarers, dockworkers

Gloria Odion

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria(MWUN) has accused terminal operators, shipping companies and ship owners of shortchanging dockworkers and seafarers in their employment in the remittance of their pensions to the appropriate authorities.

In a statement by the union led by Comrade Francis Bunu Abi, the erring service providers were allegedly either holding back the deductions made from the salaries of their staff into the pension funds scheme or under- remitting the deductions.

The union warned of dire consequences for such act which it regarded as unethical and illegal and threatened to shut down any service provider found culpable in this illegal act.

“The leadership of the Union recently got the wind of these employers of labour and terminal operators over their acts of irregular remittance of their employees pensions to its appropriate quarters.

“Thus shortchanging the Seafarers and the Dockworkers, both categories of workers from the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria.

“It was also learnt that some Ship Owners and Terminal Operators have allegedly stopped the remittance of Dockworkers and Seafarers’ PSA in their employ, which is a gross violation of labour laws.

” As a result, the President -General of the Union, Comrade Bunu, stated that the Union will have no other option than to descend heavily and bring to book all the earring managements of these companies working against the ethics and practices of labour rules in their various companies.

“The Delta State- born labour leader made this point known, stressing that it’s unlawful to deny workers their pensions rights either by crook or hook,; and may not hesitate to call out these Concessionaires and Shipping Companies that have defaulted in the payment of the statutory pensions of the Union Members.

“Comrade Bunu also said that these erring companies in the Maritime sector would be shut down if this ugly trend is not reversed to status quo.” the statement concluded.

Headlines

Tantita Security to bankroll 2025 OTC in USA

Gloria Odion

The foremost security provider in Nigeria, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) has been confirmed as the official sponsor of the 2025 Offshore Technology conference scheduled to hold in Houston Texas, United States on 5-8 May , 2025 .

Executive Director, Technical and operations , Tantita security services Limited, Captain Wareddi Enisuoh in an interview with journalists on Friday, said the company attracted the OTC conference lucrative sponsorship deal in recognition of its capacity to deliver on the conference.

Founded in 1969 , Offshore Technology conference is a series of conferences and exhibitions, focused on exchanging technical knowledge relevant to the development of offshore energy resources , primarily Oil and Natural Gas.

The conference also serves as the meeting place for the brightest minds to share ideas , discuss, debate and build consensus around the most pressing challenges and innovations in the offshore energy sector.

This year’s exhibitors , speakers and attendees represent some of the highest calibre professionals from more than 100 countries .

Customs

Customs shuns N12 trillion inflated revenue target imposed by National Assembly

— focuses on realising N6.5 trillion 2025 target

Funso OLOJO

The Nigeria Customs Service may have tactically shrugged off the imposition of the N12 trillion revenue target by the National Assembly.

It could be recalled that government gave the NCS ₦6.5 trillion revenue target for 2025.

This followed the impressive revenue performance of the service in 2024 when it surpassed that year’s target of N5.07 trillion by 20.2 percent.

However , in January, 2025, the National Assembly joint committee on Finance led by its chairmen, Senator Sani Musa and Hon. James Faleke, believed that the projection of N6.5 trillion revenue target given to the customs was conservative and encouraged the NCS to aim higher.

Consequently, the joint committee slammed a whooping sum of N12 trillion as revenue target, doubling the initial N6.5 trillion projected revenue.

This humongous target sparked off an outrage among perplexed stakeholders who felt the target imposed by the law makers was outrageous and unrealistic which they feared may stretch the capacity of the customs to a breaking point and put unnecessary pressure on the men and officers of the agency.

Indication that the Customs authority may not be well disposed to the imposed target of N12 trillion by the National Assembly emerged recently when the Comptroller -General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, was giving account of the activities of the service in the first quarter of 2025.

While giving the analysis of the revenue performance of the service during the period under review, Adeniyi benchmarked the revenue generated by the service during the first quarter of 2025 by N6.5 trillion revenue target given by the Federal Ministry of Finance, thus jettisoning the N12 trillion imposed by the National Assembly.

“ Against our annual target of ₦6,580,000,000,000.00, the first quarter’s proportional benchmark stood at ₦1,645,000,000,000.00.

“I’m proud to announce we’ve exceeded this target by ₦106.5 billion, achieving 106.47% of our quarterly projection.

” This outstanding performance represents a substantial 29.96% increase compared to the same period in 2024, where we collected

₦1,347,705,251,658.31″ Adewale stated, while giving the analysis of the performance of the service in the first three months of the year.

Analysts believed that from the analysis of the revenue performance of the NCS in the first quarter of the year which was predicated on the N6.5 trillion revenue target, it was obvious that the service was not paying much attention to the imposed N12 trillion, but rather focusing on how to meet the more realistic target of N 6 .5 trillion.

” You can see that the CGC did not make mention of the N12 trillion imposed by the National Assembly which presupposes that the unrealistic amount is not in the reckoning of the Customs” a customs broker who plies his trade at Apapa port, said, pleading for anonymity.

” Where on earth do they want the Customs to realize such an humongous amount of money in a depressed economy, in a country where importation has plummeted due to the unfriendly policies of government?

“It is unfortunate that these people (the law makers) have lost touch with the current economic realities in the country.

” All what they are after is to witch hunt government agencies to go and hunt for money for them to share.

” If not, how could they sit down in the comfort of their air conditioned offices and imposed such amount of revenue for customs to realize.

” Of course, the pressure would be on the men and officers of the service who will in turn go after the hapless importers and their agents in the most brutal way to raise the imposed target.

” It is unfortunate that the lawmakers, who are expected to make laws that will encourage export drive of the Federal government, are those asking the customs to focus more on the import goods where such money could be realized” another freight forwarder, who did not want his name in print but based at Tin Can Island port, declared.