Headlines
Decline in Piracy in Gulf of Guinea excites global community

This is coming on the heels of the Bureau receiving the lowest number of reported incidents for the first half of the year since 1994, evidencing its efforts in raising awareness to make the waters safe globally.
The Gulf of Guinea Declaration on Suppression of Piracy has confirmed that there has not been any case of Seafarers kidnap one year after the May 2021 declaration.
This is considered commendable progress in comparison to the 2020 statistics when 130 seafarers were kidnapped.
The status report from the GoG declaration also confirmed that there has not been any case of kidnap for ransom in 2022, as against 20 cases in 2020 and 12 in 2021.
The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA) Dr Bashir Jamoh said that Nigeria is committed to sustaining the momentum of the success recorded in recent times in the fight against piracy in the region.
“It is heart-warming that the international maritime community is acknowledging the progress made so far.
” It is a direct result of collaboration amongst national, regional and non-regional stakeholders.
” It is our hope that this trend will be sustained and very soon, we will start reaping the benefits such as a change of status concerning the Insurance premium paid on Nigerian bound cargoes; the War Risk premium being paid at the moment.
“We hope this status will change very soon,” he said.
While commending the progress, the Baltic and International Maritime Council, (BIMCO) the world’s largest direct-membership organization for ship-owners, charterers, shipbrokers and agents called for the effective and full deployment of Deep Blue Assets on Anti-piracy tasking.
Efforts of the Nigerian Navy in clamping down on pirates camps, the Deep Blue project C4i coastal surveillance and collaboration with international Navies for law enforcement off Nigerian waters and the series of meetings under the umbrella of the Gulf of Guinea maritime coordination Forum, Shared Awareness and DEconfliction, GoG/SHADE were identified as key to the success in the war against Piracy in the Region.
On its part, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has also confirmed that no case of vessel hijack took place in Nigerian waters in the first half of 2022.
The ICC and International Maritime Bureau (IMB) have confirmed that the first half of 2022 witnessed the least cases of piracy globally in 28 years with only 58 reported cases as compared to 68 within the same period in 2021.
Of the 58 incidents, two were classified as Piracy attacks in the Gulf of Guinea, with none of them occurring in Nigerian waters.
While the reduction in reported incidents is indeed encouraging, the IMB PRC continues to caution against complacency.
IMB Director, Michael Howlett said, “Not only is this good news for the seafarers and the shipping industry, but it is also positive news for trade which promotes economic growth.
“But the areas of risk shift and the shipping community must remain vigilant.
“We encourage governments and responding authorities to continue their patrols which create a deterrent effect.”
Customs
Customs, UN agency collaborate to fight smuggling

“On behalf of the entire Management Team of the Nigeria Customs Service, I wish to inform you that we will partner with you in this campaign, and we will grant you all forms of support you may need to carry out this campaign — and I want to assign one of our amiable DCGs, Abba Kura, to work with you closely.”
He appreciated how they traveled from afar to inform the Nigeria Customs Service of their campaign against smuggling, which, according to him, the Nigeria Customs Service has already started yielding positive results in suppressing the menace of smuggling.
The CGC also welcomed Dr Raymond’s offer to engage officers and men of the Service in capacity—building to enhance their understanding of digital literacy skills, adding that the Service has already started embracing technology to advance its work by introducing related courses to officers.
The CGC appreciated the collaborative effort between the Nigeria Customs Service and UN—Habitat and believes that the collaboration signifies a commitment to tackling smuggling and enhancing trade facilitation in the nation, setting the stage for a more prosperous future.
He also appreciated their pledge to train officers and men of the Service in digital literacy skills, assuring that the Service will continue to prioritize proficiency in the fight against smuggling through a technological approach.
He underscored the importance of digital skills, promising that the relevant Service department will enhance trade facilitation.
On his part, the Director of UN—Habitat, Dr. Raymond Edoh, appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for reposing the responsibility of heading the Nigeria Customs Service on the Acting Comptroller-General, describing him as “a competent Customs officer who knows the terrain and masters the job.”
According to him, they decided to visit the Ag. CGC at the Customs Headquarters to express their interest in partnering with the Service.
He appreciated the Service for being a “gatekeeper of the country” that protects citizens against border threats, stressing that his organization will collaborate with NCS to mitigate the smuggling of illicit goods and train officers and men of Customs on digital literacy skills and certification.
UN-Habitat is the United Nations entity responsible for developing urban policies and translating them into action to create sustainable cities and promote viable urban development and adequate shelter for all.
Headlines
Maritime stakeholders set agenda for success of Blue Economy

Customs
MARAN raises alarm over continued depreciation of Customs’ N180 billion boats on Lagos Marina waters —- calls on CGC Adeniyi to deploy the assets

-
Economy3 months ago
Emefiele ruined Nigeria’s financial system – Tinubu breaks silence on suspended CBN governor
-
Freight Monitor4 weeks ago
Freight Forwarders threaten to shut down ports over alarming rate of extortions by maritime police.
-
Headlines3 months ago
Mass retirement hits Army, Navy, Air Force as Defence Headquarters issues quit notice to senior officers
-
Customs3 months ago
Adeniyi, new CGG, leverages international collaboration for enhanced customs efficiency
-
Economy3 months ago
I summoned courage to announce fuel subsidy removal, not included in my inaugural speech—Tinubu
-
Customs2 weeks ago
Shake-up in Customs as Apapa, Tin Can, Seme, KLT commands get new Area Controllers