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CJN pledges judiciary’s support for NIMASA in war against piracy

Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, CJN

The eyewitness reporter

The Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman, the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola has stated that the judiciary has a role to play in all legal forms of the fight against piracy, noting that a secured maritime domain was vital to economic development and advancement.

The CJN stated this while declaring the 3rd edition of the Nigerian Admiralty Law Colloquium for Justices of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal and Judges of the Federal High Court, Open in Lagos.

The CJN, who was represented at the event by Hon. Justice Musa Dattjo Muhammad, averred that he was pleased with the 2023 edition of the Nigerian Admiralty Law Colloquium because it was tailored towards effective and efficient adjudication of cases as well as curbing the menace of piracy within the Gulf of Guinea.

He observed that the Gulf of Guinea was richly endowed and that it was necessary for key players in the maritime sector to continually engage in constructive discussions to achieve the benefits associated with the maritime industry.

“The Gulf of Guinea encompasses eight African countries, to wit; Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo.

” These countries are home to about 4.5 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves and about 2.7 percent of proven natural gas reserves.

” Two-thirds of these reserves are concentrated within the exclusive economic zone of Nigeria, the center of gravity of the region, whose oil sector accounts for 75 percent of the state’s revenue and about 90 percent of total export.

” The Gulf of Guinea is richly endowed with vast reserves of hydrocarbon, mineral and fisheries resources, making it a strategic area”.

Speaking further, the CJN said that the workshop was apt, as it would create avenues for capacity building and increased maritime domain awareness.

He affirmed his belief that ultimately, participants at the event would be able to drive conversations on how to maximize the benefits of the maritime sector and also generate ideas and strategies necessary for its sustenance and safety.

He opined that the colloquium was a proactive measure to further expose judicial Officers to fundamental developments in Maritime Security issues, enabling them to be at par with international relevant laws and policies governing the maritime security sub-sector.

The CJN commended the management of NIMASA under the stewardship of Dr. Bashir Jamoh,for his grit and determination in ensuring that the Agency fulfills its mandate.

He noted that under Jamoh, the Agency had recorded notable improvements in maritime security and safety, especially through the effective implementation of the Deep Blue Project which has, among other things, led to the impressive decline in piracy and armed robbery on the sea.

“The legal strategies being adopted by Nigeria to combat maritime piracy and armed robbery in the Nigerian waters have not gone unnoticed.

” This is evident in the creation of Nigeria’s Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act (SPOMO) 2019.

“Before the advent of the 2019 Anti-Piracy Act, there were no specific ‘laws to determine the context of piracy in Nigerian waters and legal enforcement in response to maritime insecurity.

“Thus, the 2019 Anti-Piracy Act is an important step in securing the country’s coastline and seas. It has also ensured an increased level of transparency and accountability in the maritime sector, by strengthening the governing institutions to attract investment capital through the implementation of regulatory and fiscal framework for the Nigerian maritime industry.

” This will encourage foreign investors to have a sense of trust in the Nigerian Maritime industry, which will enhance revenue for the government while ensuring a fair return on investment”, the CJN said.

In his remarks, the Chief Justice of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice John T. Tsoho commended the management of NIMASA for its role in enhancing the development of maritime law and its knowledge.

Justice Tsoho, who was represented by Honourable Justice Adekunle Olayinka Faji, noted that since the Federal High Court was the court with primary jurisdiction in maritime matters, Federal High Court would always support relevant legislations that would ensure efficiency and effectiveness in harnessing the gains in the maritime industry.

“The price of peace and freedom is however vigilance. If we are to harness the gains of a secured maritime domain, we must continue to build capacity and fine-tune our laws.

” It is in this connection that I must state that work has been concluded on the new Admiralty Jurisdiction Procedure Rules and the text has been sent for gazetting.

” It is thus only a matter of days before the new Rules will come into force. The Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA) is also at work on the new Admiralty Jurisdiction Act.

“All these legislative efforts are geared towards enhancing the potentials of our country in the Deep Blue Project and the overall growth of our economy”, he said.

In his opening remarks, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, observed that it was gratifying to note, that the Admiralty Workshop had moved so rapidly that so soon, after a dark period when all discourse centered around insecurity and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, NIMASA and all stakeholders in the maritime industry were today sufficiently emboldened to move the trend of engagement to another level, as the maritime industry gave consideration to the vital issue of harnessing the gains of a secured maritime domain.

Speaking further, Jamoh, who was represented by the NIMASA’s Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Hon. Chudi Offodile, stated that a well-developed blue economy would be strong enough to service Nigeria’s annual budget because it encompasses all economic activities associated with the oceans and seas.

However, he observed that despite these endowments and abundant resources in the nation’s oceans and seas to back her economic diversification and development drive, Nigeria was yet to take full advantage of the emergent ocean economy to expand its revenue base.

According to him, “Since the concept of the blue economy began to gain traction decades ago, maritime nations have been harnessing the full benefits of the ocean economy by protecting their oceans and seas, which is why NIMASA is working tirelessly to secure our waters and the Gulf of Guinea.

“The time has come for us as a nation to build on the successful achievement of security in the Gulf of Guinea and work intentionally to harness the profitability of our maritime space”.

Present at the Colloquium was the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Z. Gambo, who was represented by Rear Admiral BJ Gbassa, the Chief Justice of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Alogba, the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Professor Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan, Sir Hon. Justice Biobele Abraham Georgewill, the Chief Justice of Anambra State, Hon. Justice Onochie Anyachebelu, Dr. Emeka Akabogu, Mike Igbokwe, SAN, amongst other Justices and Maritime stakeholders.

Themed, “Beyond Maritime Security Threats In The Gulf of Guinea: Harnessing the Gains of a Secured Maritime Domain”, the 3rd edition of the Nigerian Admiralty Law Colloquium was organised by NIMASA in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) and the National Judicial Institute (NJI), for Justices of the Supreme Court and Appeal Court and Judges of the Federal High Court of Nigeria.

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Anti-Corruption Group Commends FG on National Single Window Initiative

Gloria Odion,Maritime Reporter

The Media Anti-Corruption Initiatives (MACI), a leading non-governmental organization(NGO), has applauded the Federal Government’s forthcoming launch of the National Single Window (NSW), a centralized platform designed to integrate all transactions and interactions with public agencies.

In a joint press release, Captain Adamu Mishela (Chairman) and Funso Olojo (Secretary General) emphasized the significance of the NSW as a groundbreaking reform aimed at streamlining trade procedures, enhancing transparency, and strengthening integrity across the public sector.

Originally introduced nearly two years ago by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the NSW represents a major fiscal reform intended to boost Nigeria’s competitiveness on the global stage.

Captain Mishela noted that MACI believes the initiative will minimize opportunities for corrupt practices, accelerate service delivery for citizens and businesses, and restore public confidence in government institutions

MACI reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding public resources, upholding the rule of law, and promoting transparency.

The organization also expressed readiness to collaborate with government agencies, private sector partners, civil society, and the wider public to ensure the NSW achieves its objectives, mitigates risks, and serves as a strong defense against corruption.

In support of the NSW project, MACI is set to hold a seminar with the theme “Tamper-Proof National Single Window” to ensure that the initiative succeeds where other reforms before it faltered.

This initiative marks a significant step toward building a more open, accountable, and citizen-focused public sector in Nigeria.

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Alake of Egbaland identifies with NANTA @50 celebration at Ibadan

Alake of Egbaland identifies with NANTA @50 celebration at Ibadan

Geraldine Samuel

The Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, has assured the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) of his royal presence at the association’s Golden Jubilee celebration and Annual General Meeting scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State, in April.

The revered monarch gave the assurance on Thursday, March14th, 2026 when he received members of the NANTA AGM Planning Committee, led by Mrs. Lola Adewole, at the Ake Palace in Abeokuta.

Oba Gbadebo commended the association for its resilience and unity over the past five decades, noting that sustaining a professional body for 50 years reflects commitment, strong leadership, and shared vision among its members.

He also prayed for the continued growth and impactful contributions of the association to Nigeria’s cultural tourism sector.

According to the monarch, NANTA has consistently promoted Nigerian culture and the travel trade industry, earning an exemplary status that other professional associations and groups should emulate.

The Alake further assured the delegation that he would personally attend and grace the anniversary event, adding that Egbaland and Ibadan share deep historical, cultural, and traditional ties.

Earlier, the leader of the NANTA delegation, Mrs. Lola Adewole, who was accompanied by the association’s Second National Deputy President, Dr. Tokunbo Dagunduro, and Financial Secretary, Mr. Yinka Ladipo, informed the monarch that NANTA has always promoted Nigeria’s cultural tourism offerings as a vital national asset.

She explained that the association views the country’s cultural heritage as a gold mine that must be preserved and harnessed for Nigeria’s economic and social development.

Adewole noted that the theme of the association’s 50th anniversary celebration, “Embracing Our Diverse Cultural Heritage from the City of Firsts: Redefining Our Role as Global Ambassadors,” reflects NANTA’s commitment to supporting and promoting Nigeria’s cultural tourism economy.

As part of activities ahead of the anniversary celebration, the NANTA team also visited the Ogun State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon. Sesan Fagbayi, to formally invite him to the Ibadan conference.

During the visit, the delegation highlighted the rich cultural heritage of Ogun State and its importance to national tourism development and economic growth.

Meanwhile, the association, through its National President, Dr. Yinka Folami, has congratulated the newly appointed Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Olatunji Rilwan Disu, on his appointment.

In a letter dated March 9, acknowledged by the police authorities, Folami pledged the association’s willingness to collaborate with the Nigeria Police Force in addressing fraudulent activities within the travel trade sector.

The NANTA president also formally invited the Inspector-General to the association’s elective Annual General Meeting in Ibadan in April, noting that the gathering would provide an opportunity for the police chief to interact with travel trade professionals on ways to promote a secure and globally compliant travel industry in Nigeria.

Headlines

NSW will not subsume B’Odogwu Customs trade platform — Fakolade

Gloria Odion

Tola Fakolade, the Director of Nigeria National Single Window Project has stated that the celebrated National Single Window project which first phase is due for official roll out in March,27th, 2026 is not a substitute for the Customs trade platform commonly called B’Odogwu, neither will the presidential initiative subsume the Customs platform.

Fakolade make this clarification against the rising fears that the multi- million dollar indigenous platform created by the Customs to enhance its operations and meant to replace the previous foreign – created portal, will be jettisoned at the berth of NSW.

However, he further clarified that the NSW will operate alongside the B’Odogwu Customs Management System, describing the two platforms as complementary.

“The B’Odogwu system handles core Customs processes such as valuation and risk management, while the National Single Window serves as the single-entry portal for traders to submit documents and applications for approvals,” he said.

Fakolade also declared that NSW will not replace any government agency involved in trade facilitation but will instead integrate their processes to eliminate duplication and improve efficiency.

He explained that the system is designed to ensure that once a release is issued by the Nigeria Customs Service, it would already reflect the risk assessment and compliance requirements of other port-related regulatory agencies.

According to him, key trade agencies were involved from the early stages of the project, with each nominating technical representatives who contributed to the development of the platform.

He noted that the system has already identified and addressed several duplicated processes that previously slowed cargo clearance and added no value to port operations.

Fakolade also disclosed that extensive training has been ongoing for over a month for end-users including importers, exporters, freight forwarders and officials of the Nigerian Ports Authority.

He added that training sessions are being conducted physically at designated centres that accommodate between 30 and 50 participants, while additional learning resources and explanatory videos have been made available online.

Fakolade added that when the platform goes live on March 27, 2026, initial services will include applications for import licences, certificates and permits for agencies such as Standards Organisation of Nigeria, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, as well as manifest submissions by shipping lines and airlines.

Meanwhile, Princess Chi Ezeh, Vice President (Seaports) of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), commended the committee driving the NSW Nigeria for recognising freight forwarders as critical stakeholders in the reform initiative aimed at improving trade facilitation in the country.

Ezeh noted that the decision to engage freight forwarders during the awareness and consultation stages of the project demonstrates that the implementation team understands the strategic role operators play in Nigeria’s port and logistics ecosystem.

She added that during the engagement sessions, freight forwarders were able to highlight some operational challenges they face at the ports, which the project team assured would be addressed.

She expressed optimism ahead of the planned launch of the National Single Window, urging the implementation team to ensure that the system is properly structured to enhance trade facilitation rather than create additional delays in cargo clearance processes.

Also speaking, the Chairman of APFFLON Tincan Chapter, Alhaji Akeem Ayobiojo, assured that freight forwarders would play their part in ensuring the success of the initiative by submitting accurate documentation and complying with the required procedures.

He stressed that transparency and professionalism from operators are essential to achieving the project’s goal of reducing cost, saving time and improving efficiency in Nigeria’s port operations.