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From LAMATA to NIMASA: The Task Before Dayo Mobereola. 

Dayo Mobereola, taking over the mantle of office at NIMASA

The Eyewitness Reporter

Last week Friday, March 22nd, 2024, the new Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dayo Mobereola quietly walked into the Kanti Towers( now NIMASA Towers), the new ultra-modern headquarters of the agency, to assume duties.

He was pronounced the new helmsman of the rich government parastatal on March 11th, 2024 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to replace Dr Bashir Jamoh, whose four-year eventful tenure lapsed on March 10th, 2024.

As expected, the former Lagos Metropolitan  Area Transport Authority(LAMATA )boss was elated by his new office and status.

He said this much when he expressed his enthusiasm to become the new NIMASA DG.

” It is with great enthusiasm and a sense of purpose that I step into this position” he had said with a glowing mien when he took over the baton of leadership from Mr Chudi Offodile, the Agency’s Executive Director, Finance and Administration, who had been acting since the exit of Jamoh.

It is expected that Dr Mobereola should be elated given the fact that he now sits atop an international-inclined, money-spinning government agency which is by far bigger in status, stature and scope than LAMATA.

However, we want to advise Mobereola not to be carried away by the euphoria of his new office and position as he is faced with the daunting task of driving the most critical, dynamic and highly technical agency which is by far more tasking, engaging and challenging than LAMATA.

He should also know that he is in an industry that is international in operation and whose operators are cynical but discerning and sophisticated in thoughts and actions, who are unsparing in their criticism, who are impatient with laggards and who are quite friendly and supportive of intelligent, proactive and impactful Chief Executive officers of the frontline regulatory agency in the industry.

The industry whose stakeholders are intoxicated by successes but incensed by failures.

So Mobereola should know what he is up against as he is stepping into the big shoes vacated by his predecessor, Dr Bashir Jamoh, whose modest achievements have now set parameters by which his performance shall be assessed.

Such parameters include but are not limited to shipping development, CVFF disbursement, full deployment of the agency’s floating dock, change in Nigeria’s fortune at the IMO elections where the country has become a serial loser, the proactive approach to the controversial National Seafarers Development Programme(NSDP).

Cabotage Vessels Financing Funds(CVFF)

Mobereola is coming into the office to meet one of the most controversial, highly politicized and brazenly abused interventionist Programmes of the agency, the Cabotage Vessels Financing Funds (CVFF).

Initiated in 2003 through the Cabotage Act, it is meant to empower indigenous ship owners to enable them to compete effectively in the Cabotage trade.

The fund is the accruals from the two per cent deductions made from Cabotage contracts of indigenous ship owners.
The special purpose loan facility is meant to be disbursed to qualified beneficiaries who meet the stringent guidelines.
Instructively, the funds have not been disbursed 20 years after it started. and it is said to have accrued the sum of $700milion as at 2023.
It has suffered several abuse and postponements of disbursement dates and become an object of official deceit and controversy so much so that the indigenous ship owners for whom it is meant have lost hope and confidence in government sincerity.

Under Jamoh, who appeared genuinely sincere and committed, the funds came close to disbursement as it got two presidential approvals under President Mohammudu Buhari, first to Rotimi Ameachi and then in December 2022, to Muazu Sambo, both former Ministers of Transportation.

Sambo even had to stake his integrity on the disbursement of the controversial funds when in December 2022, he bragged “Hold me responsible if this funds is not disbursed. I am staking my integrity on the approval granted by Mr President”
We need not say that the funds were still not disbursed before he exited.
We went into the intrigues and opaque manner in which the vexed issue of CVFF disbursement had been handled for 20 years so Mobereola would know the task at hand.

If he could eventually break the 20-year-old jinx of CVFF disbursement before he leaves office, he would become an instant celebrity among the highly sceptical stakeholders who have already written him off as a misfit before he even assumed duties.

Nigeria’s Serial loses at IMO Category C elections 

Another parameter that will be used to measure the performance of the new NIMASA DG is how he would turn the fortunes of Nigeria around at the International Maritime Organisation(IMO) elections.

Since 2007, when Nigeria last won the election into the Category ‘C’ council of the IMO under the former NIMASA DG, Dr Ade Dosunmu, it has been A string of consistent loses after then.

Since 2009 till date, Nigeria’s bids to win the coveted position at the IMO have been met with crushing defeats and near-misses.
The country became defeat-weary so much that it chickened out of the 2023 biannual elections when it failed to participate in the election held in the London headquarters of the IMO in December 2023.

Gboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, who led other government officials on a jamboree visit to London in 2023  to observe the election which Nigeria ought to have participated, said Nigeria will not participate in that year’s election to give ample room for preparations for the 2025 edition.

Mobereola, with the active support and guidance of the minister, should leverage the giant stride made by his immediate predecessor towards this direction.

Jamoh has built international goodwill and made the government invest in robust maritime infrastructure which engender maritime security and safety.

It behoves the new helmsman at the agency to harness all these and deliver to Nigeria a place in the prestigious category C at the IMO Council.

If he does that in the next council elections in 2025, then some of his critics, especially in the maritime media, would be falling over themselves to confer on him the Maritime Man of the Year Award reserved for the performing CEOs in the industry.

Full deployment of the agency’s floating dock.

Again, his immediate predecessor, Bashir Jamoh, had prepared a ground for the eventual deployment of this national asset.
NIMASA acquired the giant floating dock in 2018 at the staggering sum of N50 billion in what appeared that the agency put the chart before the horse as it searched for a suitable operational base for six years while the facility was idling away and gulping national resources.
However, Jamoh made what appeared to be concrete steps towards the eventual deployment of the giant floating dock before he bowed out of office.
He convinced the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to lease its facilities at the Continental shipyard for the anchorage of the floating dock.
He also engaged the services of Melsmore Marina Nigeria Limited as a technical partner to drive the deployment of the dock.
Shortly before Jamoh exited, the floating dock had been dragged to a jetty at the Standard Flour Mills, Apapa in preparation for its final movement to its scheduled operational base at the Continental Shipyard.
So, Mobereola has had its work cut out for him by his immediate predecessor.
All he needs to do is finalize the arrangement that would enable the floating dock to commence operations that will conserve the scarce foreign exchange that Nigeria’s local ship owners use to dry dock their vessels outside the shores of the country.

Sustaining the momentum in the fight against piracy.

One of the legacies left behind by Bashir Jamoh is the highly emasculated pirate attacks on Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea.

Nigeria led the international onslaught on piracy in the Gulf of Guinea which recorded a considerable decline in the operations of pirates in the last few years.
Through the deployment of its sophisticated infrastructures under the Deep Blue project, Nigeria has fought piracy to a standstill.

This laudable effort was further boosted by the promulgation of the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act, 2019 (SPOMO) Act which helped in speedy and effective prosecution of pirates in the country.

With these far-reaching measures and efforts, all that Mobereola needs to do is to sustain the fight against piracy.
He can’t afford to ease his foot on the pedal as a spike in the unholy activities of pirates will deal irreversible damage to his tenure.

Revival of dying indigenous shipping operations. 

One of the cardinal objectives of NIMASA is shipping development.

However, this is a dark spot on what could have been a glittering tenure of his immediate predecessor,  Bashir Jamoh.
Under Jamoh, shipping development didn’t enjoy as much attention as other areas of the agency’s mandates as businesses most of the indigenous ship owners went under.

Probably due to the non-rebursement of the controversial CVFF which should have empowered the indigenous ship owners, the operations of these operators nose-dived as substantial numbers of them went out of business.

To worm himself into the hearts of the distressed and depressed indigenous ship owners, Mobereola should court them, consult them and engage with them in decisions that would be taken by the agency concerning the promotion of their businesses.

The National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP)
The National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) was initiated by NIMASA in 2008 under the former DG, Dr Ade Dosunmu. It was designed to train Nigerian youths up to a degree level in Marine Engineering, Nautical Services and Naval Architecture in some of the best maritime training institutions abroad.
Since its inception, the programme is reputed to have produced about 2,000 beneficiaries.
However, the sore point in the programme is that most of the cadets who passed through the programme lack the requisite sea-time training as that important component was not initially embedded in the terms of engagement between NIMASA and the foreign training institutions.
Also, it has been alleged that the programme has largely been an instrument of nepotism as beneficiaries are friends, relatives and cronies of highly placed Nigerians in government, including successive Minister of Transportation (Marine and Blue Economy ministry).
As a result, some stakeholders have called for its scrapping.
Mobereola should look into these allegations and provide workable solutions that would address the lack of seatime training for the cadets and the issue of nepotism should be looked into.
The duties of the new NIMASA DG have clearly been cut out for him and adequate ground was prepared for him by his immediate predecessor.

It is now incumbent on Mobereola to latch on these opportunities to drive the maritime industry higher than he met it.

Failure to do this and make an impact within the next six months of his tenure, he would have the harsh, hard and highly sceptical stakeholders to contend with.
His short speech at the handing-over ceremony last week Friday, March 22nd, 2024 was not inspiring as it gives him away as someone who hasn’t gotten a grasp of the task ahead

“I do not doubt that every individual within our organization has the potential to achieve greatness.

” We will, therefore, ensure that we build a purpose-driven organisation by investing in our staff, processes, and the entire system to achieve our mandate.

” I aim to foster an environment of innovation, collaboration and synergy, creating an atmosphere that encourages the development of our employees’ skills, talents, and creativity” he has said.

To stakeholders, the statement is nebulous as it was not specific on key areas of interest to industry operators.

So, the sooner Mobereola knows that the maritime industry and administration is more technical, engaging, and in-depth in the conception and execution of ideas and policies than land transportation, the better.

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Stakeholders kick against renewal of ETO contract with TTP as NPA reviews agreement 

Funso OLOJO, Editor 
There is a groundswell of opposition among maritime stakeholders against any plan for  renewal of Electronic Call- Up System, otherwise called ETO,
contract with the Truck Transit Park(TTP).
TTP company was the pioneer contractor engaged by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in February 2021  to drive the e- call up system at its commencement at the Nigerian ports.
However, the five- year contract expired last February while the NPA is set to review the contract again.
While the TTP have started lobbying the NPA management to get a renewal of the lucrative contract, stakeholders have called on the agency to shun the request of the contractor and instead give it out to a more competent company which is not suseptible to corruption.
The stakeholders argued that, though the electronic truck movement system was a laudable initiative but was married by fraud , corruption and gross  inefficiency as the TTP officials used the system to extort truckers.
The Council of Maritime Transport Unions and Associations (COMTUA) has expressed strong opposition to the contract renewal, citing allegations of fraud, extortion, and inefficiency in the TTP.
COMTUA noted that the system has caused financial burden and, at times, worsened, rather than improved, the waiting times for trucks.
COMTUA  therefore urged  the NPA to consider other more efficient solutions for managing port access.
Stakeholders readily pointed to the plate number and ticket frauds which rocked the system
During the crisis period, plate number and cloning fraud emerged as major methods used to sabotage the Electronic Call-up System (“Eto”) at Nigerian ports, enabling unapproved trucks to gain access to port terminals.

Syndicates and fraudulent truckers have been caught using fake, duplicated, or borrowed license plates to match Eto tickets, a practice that undermined the automated system intended to manage traffic congestion

Truckers often duplicate the plate number of a vehicle with a valid Eto ticket and attached it to an unauthorized truck.

Fraudsters engage in “proxy booking,” where they generated tickets for fake or non-existent trucks and then use those tickets for other vehicles by swapping plate numbers at the gate.

Due to the scarcity of spots,, valid Eto tickets were frequently resold at inflated prices (up to ₦450,000 against a ₦21,000 official rate), with the forged plate numbers used to bypass security checks.

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)  intercepted hundreds of fake plate numbers and counterfeit Minimum Safety Standard (MSS) stickers in single raids, particularly around the MPS pre-gate in Apapa.

It was these and other fraudulent acts perpetrated under the management of ETO by the TPP that made stakeholders to advised the NPA not to renew the contract with the company.

“Renewal of the TPP contract will be a monumental error by the NPA because the company used the system to extort and overburdened the truckers.

A more competent company should be engaged to drive the process”  one of the truckers union executives told our reporter.

However, the NPA has reaffirmed its dedication to a “congestion-free” port environment and is actively assessing the performance of the Eto system.

The agency emphasized that the electronic call-up is now a cornerstone of their digital agenda, aimed at increasing transparency and minimizing human interaction.

The review process is ongoing, with significant pressure from stakeholders to either continue with the current system (with improvements) or seek a new, more efficient solution to maintain sanity on the Apapa and Tin Can Island port access road

But the Authority  has assured port users and industry stakeholders that there will be no disruption to operations as it reviews the expired agreement governing the Electronic Truck Call-Up System (ETO)

The contract between the NPA and Truck Transit Park Ltd (TTP), which manages the ETO platform, reached its term at the end of February and is currently under review.

Nevertheless ,the Authority has moved swiftly to calm concerns, emphasizing that port efficiency and seamless cargo movement remain top priorities.

In a statement, the NPA’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Ikechukwu Onyemekara, said there are clear provisions within the expired agreement to guarantee operational stability.

“There are options under the expired agreement to be adopted to ensure that necessary arrangements are in place for business continuity by the parties that would ensure that operations are not disrupted in any way,” Onyemekara said.

He described the review as a routine administrative process consistent with global best practices, noting that the Authority is committed to safeguarding the gains recorded since the introduction of the digital call-up system.

The ETO platform was introduced in 2021 at the height of the Apapa gridlock crisis to regulate truck movement into the Lagos ports corridor.
By requiring pre-booked access slots before trucks approach the ports, the system restored order to the once chaotic logistics chain and significantly reduced traffic congestion along port access roads.
Industry observers noted that under the NPA’s supervision, the digital regime has contributed to improved cargo evacuation, enhanced vessel turnaround time, and greater predictability in port operations.
They however warned that renewing the contract with TTP will reverse the gains of the system and stagnate the process of electronic movement of trucks in and out of the Ports.
While the review process continues, the NPA has reiterated its commitment to transparency, efficiency, and stakeholder engagement in determining the next phase of the call-up system.
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National Single Window, a marriage of strange bed fellows that may change nothing in cargo clearance process – Segun Musa 

Funso OLOJO, Editor 
A maritime expert and the National Vice President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr Segun Musa, has taken a swipe at the celebrated National Single Window(NSW) programme of the Federal government, describing it as a ‘mere jamboree’ that may not have the desired impact on cargo clearance process at the Port.
Dr Musa, who was the guest at the weekly Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) roundtable discussion programme held on Wednesday, February 4th, 2026, at Apapa , Lagos,said the NSW is like ‘an ordinary shell that houses different agencies’ that don’t have equal efficiency in trade facilitation.
He noted that SW is like a chain and it will be as strong as it’s weakest link.
The NAGAFF chief observed that if all the participating agencies are not ready and their operations are not automated, the whole essence will be a waste of time and resources because, according to him, one of the agencies in the link  can delay the process due to inefficiency.
” What is the level of competence and efficiency of the participating agencies?
“If all of them are warehoused in a single window, an incompetent agency among them could frustrate the process.
“So let nobody deceive us that there’s going to be one single window that it’s going to be a game changer that will facilitate trade and everything will just be moving. It’s never true” Musa declared.
It could be recalled that the Federal government has fixed March 27th, 2026 as the official date for the launch of the first phase of the NSW.
On African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Dr Musa said the programme would not deliver meaningful impact for Nigeria without clearly defined, holistic and measurable policies to drive its implementation, criticizing what he described as Nigeria’s ceremonial participation in the programme.
According to him, genuine participation under AfCFTA should reflect in export volumes and measurable benchmarks rather than media showcases of minimal shipments.
“If we were serious under this scheme, we should be talking about exporting 200,000 to 300,000 containers by now — even up to a million.
” Instead, we are celebrating one or two containers and gathering media houses to showcase them. Is that participation? It’s painful for a country of this size,” he said.
Musa argued that policy frameworks must be predictive and structured in a way that allows stakeholders to key into them with certainty of outcomes.
“A policy must be holistic. You should be able to key into it and predict what will happen. That is the essence of policy. What we are doing now is a waste of time and resources,” he stated.
Responding to question on policy gaps and measurable benchmarks required to reposition Nigeria under AfCFTA, Musa maintained that the challenge was not the absence of declarations but the lack of institutional readiness and structured participation.
He further compared Nigeria’s export performance with that of Europe and Asia, noting that serious trading economies focus on volume and competitiveness rather than symbolic shipments.
The maritime expert expressed concern that without concrete benchmarks, coordinated institutional reforms and export-driven strategies, Nigeria may struggle to maximise opportunities under AfCFTA.
The roundtable ended with renewed calls for actionable policies, institutional competence and measurable targets to ensure that the continental trade agreement translates into tangible economic gains for the country
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Indigenous maritime investors seek partnership with NIWA for mutual development of inland waterways 

Gloria Odion, Maritime Reporter 
A coalition of indigenous maritime tourism and transportation investors has pledged to unlock strategic investment opportunities aimed at developing Nigeria’s vast but largely untapped maritime tourism economy for the benefit of littoral communities in Lagos and across the country.
The group, Allied Concessionaires and Blue Economy Alliance, made the commitment during a courtesy visit to the Lagos Area Manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Engineer Sarat Braimah, on Tuesday at the NIWA Lagos Area Office.
Speaking during the visit, Chairman of the coalition, Bolaji Olasade, explained that the alliance is made up of reputable and experienced maritime tourism and transportation operators committed to redefining waterfront recreation and hospitality by integrating safe and efficient water transportation systems.
 He noted that the initiative is designed to create jobs, boost coastal tourism, and expand economic opportunities within Lagos and beyond.
“We came to formally introduce our coalition, which is not a conventional association but a consortium of visible and tested operators, mostly concessionaires, who are willing and ready to collaborate with NIWA to grow and develop inland waterways tourism infrastructure.
“We are also focused on opening up littoral communities through destination marketing and the promotion of resorts,” Olasade stated.
He added that the group seeks to reposition Nigeria’s brown water and blue economy sectors by transforming the country’s waterfront hospitality and tourism landscape into a globally competitive industry.
In her remarks, the Secretary of the coalition, Barrister Dorcas Aderemi, emphasized that the Nigerian marine and blue economy sector can only thrive when the inland waterways ecosystem is strategically aligned for sustainable investment and funding.
She called for a structured public-private partnership model between the private sector and NIWA to fast-track development and enhance inland waterways utilization.
According to her, such collaboration would not only stimulate economic growth and job creation but also significantly boost government revenue and national development.
The group commended Engineer Braimah for her leadership and commitment to industry growth, particularly her zero-tolerance stance on boat transportation accidents and security infractions on inland waterways in Lagos.
They also congratulated her on her recent Nelson Mandela Pan-African Leadership Award, describing it as a testament to her dedication to national service.
Responding, Engineer Braimah welcomed the delegation and expressed appreciation for their interest in partnering with NIWA.
She assured them of the Authority’s willingness to collaborate in unlocking opportunities within the inland waterways corridor in Lagos and across Nigeria.
“We are pleased to receive you and have listened carefully to your intentions to collaborate with us.
“We recognize that NIWA cannot achieve its mandate alone without the private sector, especially serious investors with genuine financial commitments to the industry.
“We will communicate your proposals to our headquarters in Abuja to explore how your group can leverage existing opportunities,” she said.
The Area Manager further highlighted the need to modernize inland water transportation by introducing new boats and ferries to gradually phase out outdated watercraft, thereby enhancing safety, efficiency, and value across the waterways transportation and hospitality sectors.
She concluded by urging the coalition to remain united, avoid internal conflicts, and focus on delivering meaningful impact, particularly for littoral communities that must be actively engaged and empowered to benefit from maritime tourism and transportation opportunities within their environment.
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