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I want to bequeath fully automated ports to Nigerian shipping industry–Bello Koko 

Bello-Koko, NPA MD

Eyewitness reporter

Mohammed Bello-Koko, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has expressed his passion and uncommon commitment to leaving a fully automated port system as his legacy after he bows out of office.

Bello- Koko, whose ascension to the NPA’s highest office was as dramatic as it was eventful, said port automation, which is the latest trend in the world, especially, the Port system, is central to his administration in the NPA.

Koko, who spoke Saturday 14th, May 2022 during his maiden press conference, expressed his belief that a fully automated port system will translate to efficiency, low costs, and improved revenue.

In a no hold- barred interactive session with journalists, the NPA helmsman shared his vision of robust port processes hinged on automation devoid of human interaction.

“When I came in, even though in an acting capacity, I held retreat first with the management staff and then the board during which I had to explain my vision of automated port system to them.
“I did this because I needed to get them to work with me and secured their buy-in.
“And it worked.
“Port system is dynamic so there must be a change in policies and focus.
Talking about the legacy he wished to bequeath to the industry, the banker- turned port administrator, explained that his desire is to fully automate the port system which he believed is the backbone of efficiency.
“I would want to see our ports fully automated. Automation is the backbone of efficiency in our ports.
”  It will achieve improved revenue. It will achieve a lot of things we want to achieve. I am really really interested in getting this done.

“We have so much automation done in isolation and we need to integrate them.

“We need to put up something that everybody will love to log into. We need to copy a system that is being used in other developed countries, something that will add value, something that everyone agrees with and that is the port community system and harbour automation.
“I am looking forward to a legacy of rehabilitated port infrastructures with the right marine equipment and that is something we have started working on already.


“Discussions have started in terms of designs, we have gotten the full design of the Tin Can port, how it is going to be reconstructed, what is the likely cost of reconstructing Tin CAN, what are we going to do with some parts of Apapa port.

“We have approached BUA to start reconstruction. The same process is on in the Rivers ports where some of the infrastructures have collapsed.

“If we are able to do this, then we have achieved quite a lot.

Apart from port automation, Koko beloved that he needs efficient and committed staff who are well motivated to drive the reformation agenda.

So he declared that improved staff welfare is another area he wants to work on while in office.

“Staff welfare is very important to me which I want to pay special attention to. All these things are the legacies I want to leave behind when I exit as the Managing Director of NPA” he declared.

The NPA MD, who gave a blow-by-blow account of the challenges and prospects of bequeathing a reformed port process, believed that the core function of the NPA was trade facilitation.

However, he lamented that since the agency has been turned into a revenue-generating agency, it has lost focus on this vital core function of trade facilitation while pursuing revenue generation

“NPA is about trade facilitation.

“The core responsibility of every port in the world is to facilitate trade.

“Until that is very clear, then there was a problem, and then to facilitate trade, that is when other things came in.

“While the NPA has been turned into a major revenue earner for the federal government of Nigeria, gradually, some of our responsibilities are impossible to carry out because there is more focus on the contribution to the CRF, which is fine.

“What it does for us is it makes us reduce costs and generate more.

He then extensively dwelt on the efforts of his management to reinvent the wheel of making NPA more of a trade facilitator than a revenue earner.

“For you to ensure that this trade facilitation succeeds,  you need to meet with your stakeholders.

“One of the things we did was to start to reach out to the stakeholders that were difficult to relate with.

“The port environment is a conglomerate of so many players.

” You need the Customs, SON, plant quarantine, the shipping companies which we do not regulate but are regulated by the shippers’ council and the terminal operators for you to succeed.

“That was the first thing we did and we set a goal for ourselves, which is what are those things we need to do in order to improve trade facilitation.

“It is only when you do that that you start to have a better flow of traffic, shorter dwell time of cargo, and quick turn around time of ships.

“And we reached out to as far as the Nigerian Navy with whom we are able to resolve some issues that we were not able to resolve for over 20 years.

“We just humbled ourselves and decided that we would reach out to everybody.

“We also realised that the modern ports are all moving toward automation, and automation cannot be in batches but there has to be full automation.

“Once there is manual interference in some of the things you do, then you haven’t fully been automated and because of that, we wrote to the IMO to help us consult. We are about to deploy the port community system.

“The port community system is an avenue which ensures that all stakeholders, all the players in the port processes, log into the system of exchange of data and processes.

“The good thing is that it doesn’t disturb the automation processes of individual agencies or stakeholders, such as e-customs and that was why we got the stakeholders to buy into it.

“We are upgrading our RIMS, you all know the problems of downloading manifest and we are going to deploy harbour automation.

“The IMO has mandated all ports to deploy such IT and soft wares by 2025, our target is 2023, maximum early 2024.

“We reached out to NLG. We have been trying to deploy VTS  for about 10 years now but since we came, it was one of the major challenges.

“You can’t get qualified people to deploy VTS, they are very few.

“We wrote to IMO, they gave us some companies which could not meet our requirements while some of them were not interested in working with NPA.

“However, NLG has a VTR in Bonny, even though it is not robust.

“We do not have a problem in collaborating and in the last few months, we have been meeting with the NLG so that they do the survey and put the moles and the sensors around the country.

“It is one of the most important things in the maritime industry now, worldwide.

“We should be able to have visibility without seeing the ship and it would be a tremendous achievement and I believe we can achieve it within the year.

“Our RIM is also being updated and we ensure that people keep using those applications that we have which have reduced manual processes.

“As a result, things are improving, speed is improving. We have been able to block revenue leakages.

“However, we have old ports, we can all attest to that.  The problem with the Eastern ports is decaying infrastructures while Tin Can island port is practically collapsing.

“We have decided to focus our budget on the rehabilitation of those decaying infrastructures.

“We took a holistic look at these decaying infrastructures and came to the conclusion that we need to rehabilitate Tin can, Apapa, and other ports.

Having reeled out his vision for a new port system, he then dared whoever cared to listen that he should be held responsible and accountable over his vision for the Nigerian ports.

“You can hold me responsible for any of these things ” he declared in a measured tone that betrayed his confidence and determination to succeed.

He promised to collaborate with relevant stakeholders and lending agencies to achieve his set objectives

“I will work with the relevant agencies, investors, and lending agencies who are interested in lending, either directly or indirectly.

” Some of them just need a guarantee from the NPA  to hold us responsible for any default,” he stated.
Bello-Koko was named Acting Managing Director of NPA in May 2021 following the suspension of the erstwhile Managing Director, Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman while he was made a substantive MD in February 2022.
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Headlines

May Day: Mobereola salutes maritime workers for passion, dedication to building virile industry 

Gloria Odion,  Maritime reporter 

The Director – General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, has saluted the courage , passion and dedication of maritime workers to building strong and virile industry.
In his message at the Workers’ day on May 1st, 2026, the NIMASA DG extolled the virtues of workers and acknowledged the distinguished service of various stakeholders whose efforts he noted continue to significantly contribute to the development of the Nigerian maritime industry.
Dr. Mobereola, while wishing stakeholders a Happy Workers’ Day said “to all the amazing officers and stakeholders in the maritime sector who bring their passion and expertise to work daily.

“Thank you for your dedication and invaluable contributions”.

He emphasized that as a regulator, the Agency remains committed to its oversight function of regulating maritime labour activities in the industry in line with extant instruments and the expectations of the theme of the 2026 Workers’ Day, which focuses on safety, dignity and productivity.

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Customs

Kaila, Seme Customs CAC, seeks collaboration with stakeholders to achieve seemless trade along border corridor 

Funso OLOJO, Editor
The new Area Controller of the Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Abdullahi Kaila, has  reached out to traditional rulers and  sister agencies at the border communities to ensure the achievement of his mandate of detection, determent of smuggling, revenue generation and trade facilitation along the border corridor.
To achieve these objectives, Comptroller Kaila went on tour of the communities within the border corridor where he met and sought for the support and cooperation of major critical stakeholders, including the traditional rulers and sister agencies.
According to him, his objective was to eradicate trade hindrances affecting free movement of goods and services along the Lagos-Abidjan business corridor.
Speaking at the Palace of Oba Akran of Badagry Kingdom, the Customs Area Controller condoled with the royal family and entire people of Badagry kingdom on the passing away of HRM De Wheno Aholu Menu Toyi I who was a well recognized traditional ruler across the border communities.
“”The purpose of my visit is to introduce myself as the Area Controller of Seme Command and to equally seek your royal blessing and support to achieve the core mandate of the service.
“Our priority remains to generate revenue, facilitate trade, and suppress smuggling.
“And we in the Customs believe that without due support and co-operation from traditional rulers, we can not have effective performance of our functions as Customs officers” he said
 The King Regent, Chief Abel Ogunbiyi, who described Kaila as the son of the soil, added that “We have listened to your request.
” Know that Badagry is a very peaceful town, and we will keep collaborating with you in safeguarding our borders and in promoting legitimate trade, ” he stated.
Comptroller Kaila also visited the Onibereko of Ibereko Awori-Kingdom, where the monarch, Oba Israel Okoya, signifies his commitment to fostering the service relationship with residents living within the border  communities
“I welcome you to Badagry and be rest assured that I will always talk to my people whenever the need is required.
” In our town, our youth does not engage in illegalities as I have no other choice than to assist you in achieving the government mandate, ” he mentioned
While at the Palace of Alapa of Apa Kingdom, the king HRM Oba Oyekan Ajose Ilufemiloye commended and described the CAC, Comptroller Kaila as a professional, seasoned and well respected officer as described by indigenes of border communities.
“I promise you that I will always assist you in my area for anything that you need.
“Our border here has been peaceful because our youth always listen to the elders, and I know with your presence here, things will change for the better, ” he said
In his efforts to consolidate on existing synergy between sister security agencies, Kaila also visited Headquarters of 653 Nigerian Air force base, Ahanve-Badagry.
The  Commanding Officer, Group Captain Hungruy  Medugu,expressed the  readiness of the formation to always support the command in achieving its mandate.
“Our collaboration has been key to various successes we have recorded in our area of responsibility.
” Your presence here strengthens existing bonds of inter-agency collaboration between both Services, and we will not take it for granted ,” he said
The Area Controller then ended his familirisation tour with seeking for mutual cooperation with a visit to the Republic of Benin Police office, showing his readiness to eradicate hindrances affecting the free movement of goods and services across the border.
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Headlines

Opeifa decries encroachment on NRC properties across the country 

— praises collaboration with Abia, Enugu govts.
Funso OLOJO, Editor 
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr. Kayode Opeifa, has reiterated his displeasure over the widespread practice of encroachment on the properties of the Nigerian Railways Corporation across the country, warning that such action would not be tolerated by his administration.
Opeifa was speaking during the separate meetings he recently had with the governments of both Abia and Enugu states.
Represented by the Railway District Manager, Eastern District, Mr. Agwonye Francis Ejike, the NRC boss quickly condemned the occupation of the Corporation’s right- of – way by squatters in Umuahia, while correcting the wrongly- held belief that the Railway is defunct.
Opeifa however applauded the cordial and collaborative relationship between the Corporation and the governments of both Abia and Enugu.
According to him, such productive harmony can only yield even greater positive results for the benefit of the people.
During the Umuahia meeting, Dr. Opeifa strongly praised the Abia State Government for its crucial assistance in clearing the NRC’s right-of-way within Umuahia.
 He reiterated unequivocally that no one is permitted to build any structure on railway property without obtaining express approval from his office.
Appealing directly to the public, he urged for greater patience, stressing that the plans for the critical track extension from Aba, through Umuahia to Enugu and beyond, remain very much on course.
Responding on behalf of the Abia State Government, Mr. Kingsley Agomoh stated that the State Government is actively engaging all stakeholders by providing alternative, seamless locations for those currently conducting business on the railway right-of-way.
 He further revealed that the state government has already finalized plans to plant trees along the route, creating a leisurely and aesthetically conducive environment for relaxation, replacing previous commercial activities.
The high-powered team then embarked on an extensive inspection of the alternative relocation site for displaced persons; the demolition site where iron barrier installation is progressing; the Umuahia Central Bus Terminal; the site for the new Umuahia Railway Station; and the route for the proposed link road passing through the existing railway station.
The meeting also explored the provision of a temporary location for the Railway Police and the PTO, pending the construction of the new Umuahia Station, which is designed to include a police station and other NRC offices.
The same impactful message was delivered to Enugu State, where the Commissioner of Transportation, Dr. Obi Ozoh (representing the State Government), equally assured the NRC MD of the Enugu State Government’s unwavering commitment to collaborating with the Corporation to achieve its aims and objectives.
Describing Dr. Opeifa as a personal friend from their private sector days, Dr. Ozoh lauded him as a leader who “knows perfectly well what he is doing.”
He further assured the NRC that the Enugu State Government will actively assist in demolishing any obstruction on the Corporation’s right-of-way, stressing that the state eagerly awaits the flag-off to recommence construction of the rail line from Aba to Enugu and beyond.
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