Headlines
FG seeks collaboration with stakeholders to tackle piracy in Gulf of Guinea

The Minister of State Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, made the call at the opening of a 3-Week Counter-Piracy Course on the Core Principles and Practice of Combating Piracy, in Abuja.
The course was conducted by Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre (MLAILPKC) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Japan.
The minister, who was represented by the Deputy Director, UN Development System Division of the ministry, Mrs Victoria Oluyole, said this would help to consolidate the success being recorded in the fight against maritime crime.
Agba commended the UNDP and the Government of Japan with the Nigerian Navy and other concerned nations for strategizing and planning on the ways and means of combating the menace on the national and regional waters
He said this had also helped in making it safe and correcting the damages already done to the sector as well as restoring normalcy to the seafarers.
While commending the Government of Japan, the UNDP and the Nigerian Navy for facilitating the programme, which he described as remarkable, Agba expressed the hope that it would help address the challenges in the Gulf of Guinea.
“This event is remarkable as we have the assurance that the perennial problems of regional piracy activities in the Gulf of Guinea nations are being confronted headlong in a new tactical dimension through training of professionals who would be able to handle state-of-the-art equipment and development of other capacities.
“We are confident that this capacity building exercise will provide the needed concept, facilitate the state of the art simulation gadgets, tactical, technological know-how to counter emerging threats as well as establish professional relationship among member States,” he said.
The minister, therefore, urged participants to get the best of the training in order to deploy it afterwards towards national objectives to salvage the region and the international communities.
The UNDP Team Lead, Governance, Peace and Security, Mr Matthew Alao, said that the 3-week course would help reinforce synergies and partnership amongst stakeholders.
Alao said the course was part of a Japanese-funded project that intends to complement global, regional and national authorities’ visions and efforts at combating the menace of pirates in the Gulf of Guinea region.
He said this was aimed at building the skills, expertise and knowledge of the participants on the core principles and practice of combating piracy.
“The course consolidates on the achievement of the 2021 maiden edition of the anti-piracy project successfully implemented by MLAILPKC in collaboration with partners from Go Countries including Nigeria.
“The Counter Piracy project, which is being implemented by the Centre, will assist the Gulf of Guinea Countries to further strengthen their institutional effectiveness, inclusiveness, accountability, transparency and responsiveness.
“As well as reinforce synergies and partnerships amongst them to combat maritime crimes; promote international trades, and ensure the economic stability of the member states and of the local communities in the region.
“The project will contribute towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal 16 which aims to promote peace and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective and accountable institutions at all levels. It will help to reduce the prevalence of extremisms, violent crimes and exclusion,” he said.
The Commandant Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre Maj.-Gen. Awaul Fagge, represented by Deputy Commandant, Brig.-Gen. Sunday Makolo, expressed concern over the increased rise in the different acts of piracy that threatens the maritime domain.
According to him, this accounts for a great percentage of global merchandise distribution and exchanges.
Fagge said incessant pirate attacks had resulted in increased maritime insurance costs, increased prices of goods merchandise, oil and gas resource and the growth of regional black markets in clandestine goods and services apart from endangering lives and properties.
He said the costs associated with piracy and other TOCs were passed on and borne by the final consumers in the GoG littoral states.
“It is against this backdrop that the Government of Japan through the UNDP, sponsored the Centre to conduct a research project on Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea: Root Causes, Effects and Priority Intervention Measures’.
“Thereafter, a curriculum for an anti-piracy course was developed, which led to the conduct of the Anti-Piracy Course in the Centre,” he said.
The commandant said that during the period of training, participants would be required to bring their various experiences, competencies and expertise to bear.
Mr Shinozawa Takayuki, Charge d Affairs ad Interim of Japan to Nigeria, said that his country was committed to contributing to the security of West Africa and protect people’s lives through a variety of measures including capacity building for personnel in charge of maritime safety.
“Japan and Nigeria are far apart, but we are connected by the sea. Therefore, as a true friend of Nigeria, it can be said that Nigeria’s matter is Japan’s matter.
“I wish to reassure everyone that the Government of Japan, in cooperation with other countries, continues to contribute to the peace and stability of the Gulf of Guinea, for the livelihood of the Nigerian people and for regional economic stability,” he added.
While describing the GoG as the world’s piracy hotspot in 2021, the envoy commended the Government of Nigeria, the Nigerian military, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency and other relevant organizations for their continuous and tremendous efforts in fighting piracy through various initiatives.
He said that countries such as UK and US were also working together with the Nigerian government on security in the Gulf of Guinea.
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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