Headlines
Shippers’ Council roars to life

“It is now clear that no agency, no stakeholder can wake up on their own whims and go into the marketplace and decide for themselves what charges to impose on our maritime services.
“You have to negotiate with the Shippers’ Council whether there should be an increase or a decrease and this is going to impact the economy because we are talking of competitiveness and to be competitive, the cost of business must be related to the quality of services that are delivered.”
According to him, the pronouncement would bring about confidence in port service users for the fact that they know that every charge will be attached to quality service, saying it will engender competitiveness.
Jime informed that the Council would now be able to carry out its mandate of a regulator having been backed up with a pronouncement by the federal government.
“The role of the regulatory services that Shippers’ Council is supposed to carry out, we have not been able to do that as clearly as we should because of some questions that have come from industry stakeholders as to whether the legal backing for Shippers’ Council is as clear as it should.
“For me, this particular sensitisation programme that we have held this morning9last week Friday) under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Transportation and anchored by our own revered Permanent Secretary where there is now a clear declaration of the legal backing of the mandate of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council as the port Economic Regulator, the stakeholders here today will go with a certain clarity that finally, there is a proper definition of the mandate of Shippers’ Council.
“What does it do to the operational environment in the maritime domain?
“Going forward, the maritime stakeholders are clear that there is a body responsible for the economic regulatory framework.
“In the past, there were a lot of inter-agency rivalries, but today we are beginning to come together to work on the same page, recognising that what matters is to have efficiency and quality service delivery in our ports,” he enthused.
Headlines
Traffic gridlock returns to Apapa port as Federal government closes Total bridge for maintainance works

“Given the impact the closure will have on Port users, the Authority in partnership with LASTMA, Police, FRSC, and the Nigerian Navy have worked out alternative routes and are on the ground to manage the traffic situation in the affected areas.
“The Authority wishes to solicit the understanding and cooperation of all stakeholders as we continue to support measures to mitigate the temporary disruptions, the NPA pleaded.
Headlines
NIMASA collaborates with NCC to regulate submarine cable operation for enhanced navigational safety on Nigerian waters

The eyewitness reporter
Apparently alarmed by the indiscriminate laying of communication cables and pipelines underneath the Nigerian waters by telecommunications operators and other allied professionals which has the potential of harming the safe navigation of ships, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA) has engaged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in a strategic discussion to forge a formidable synergy with other relevant stakeholders with a view to developing a regulatory framework to provide operational guidelines for submarine Cable and Pipeline Operators in Nigeria.
Officials of both organs of Government in Lagos reached this agreement at a pre Audit meeting on submarine cable regulation.
The Director General of NIMASA Dr. Bashir Jamoh, who chaired the meeting, which also had the Director General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) Mr. Dasuki Arabi in attendance, noted that the Agency is committed to the Ease of Doing Business while implementing International Conventions which Nigeria has ratified and domesticated.
He noted that with Nigeria now a destination for global communication players, the time has come to prevent unregulated underwater cable laying, which might become hazardous to shipping.
According to him, “It is worthy to note that marine cable laying has been ongoing for over two decades in Nigerian waters.
“Our focus is to ensure the safety of navigation of shipping in Nigerian waters with all these underwater cables being laid.
“NIMASA is actually developing the guidelines to regulate submarine cable operators in line with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, UNCLOS; which we have ratified and NIMASA is the Agency of Government in Nigeria responsible for its implementation.
“Collaboration is a key component of ease of doing business in the best interest of the country and we will work closely with the NCC to achieve this”.
On his part, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, who was represented by the Director, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, Efosa Idehen, noted that the stakeholders’ dialogue strategy adopted by NIMASA in developing the guidelines would ensure a win-win situation, urging NIMASA management to include the Ministry of Justice, a request NIMASA DG immediately granted.
Also speaking at the meeting was the Director General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms Mr. Dasuki Arabi, who commended NIMASA and NCC for adopting effective Inter-Agency collaboration to avert a potential challenge for the country in the future.
NIMASA had notified submarine and cable operators in Nigeria of a soon-to-be-implemented regulatory guideline for submarine cables and pipelines in Nigeria, in line with the provisions of UNCLOS.
NIMASA and the NCC agreed to identify and resolve areas of likely regulatory overlaps, ensuring a regulatory framework based on consultation to engender the attainment of Nigeria’s digital economy transformation.
Officials of the Federal Ministry of Environment and representatives of Submarine Cable operators in Nigeria were also at the meeting.
Customs
Comptroller Nnadi mourns death of retired customs officer, DCG Sanusi

“He passed on about an hour ago at a private hospital in Abuja. The Janaza prayers hold after the Zuhr prayers (1 pm) at the National Mosque, Abuja In Shaa Allah,”
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