Connect with us

Headlines

Stakeholder rallies support for Shippers’ Council for effective regulatory function in maritime industry 

Funso OLOJO

The Managing Director and Chief Executive officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprises(CPPE), Dr Muda Yusuf, has sought for stakeholders support and cooperation for the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to enable it perform its regulatory role in the maritime industry.
Dr Yusuf said the industry needs strong regulator that will protect the consumers of the services of the operators in the industry.
The former President of Lagos state chapter of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) claimed that the maritime industry is dominated by monopolists who prey on the hapless services consumers in the sector, hence the need for strong regulator who will protect their economic interests.
Dr Yusuf was speaking at the 2024 annual Seminar for maritime journalists held in Lagos under the auspices of First Medicaon Network Limited.
He said that a strong Nigerian Shippers’ Council as a regulator will to the advantage of indigenous operators whom he said are losing their jobs daily to foreigners.
” We have to support the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to provide effective regulation in the maritime industry.
“That is the way the council can protect the consumers.
The CPPE boss noted with regret that jobs are being taken away from indigenous operators who are made to be spectators in their own country’s economy.
He therefore advocated for policies that will protect the hapless indigenous operators who are at the mercies of their foreign competitors.
“Jobs are being taken away in the sector.
There must be policies to protect the indigenous people so that their jobs will not be taken away.
He wondered how foreign could be allowed to come to Nigeria to do freight forwarding jobs.
” Foreigners fo come to Nigeria to engage in the job of clearing of goods, a job which should be an exclusive preserve of Nigerians.
He said in as much as he is not adversed to foreign investors, they should not be allowed to do jobs which the indigenous people have competence for.
Rather, he advocated that such foreigners should go to areas where Nigerians lack competence for.
Yusuf said the indigenous operators have not taken advantage of cabotage act while he called for a deliberate policy that will protect the indigenous operators.
He lamented that local policies are tough and anti- trade which he attributed to cargo diversion and smuggling.
“Government policies are too tough and have driven importers from Nigeria Ports who divert their cargo to the neighboring countries”
Dr Yusuf also blamed the high exchange rate for customs duty for the high cost of goods in the market, a development he pleaded with government to remedy because of its effect in the economy.
” The exchange rate for import duty is too high.
” Exchange rate for customs duty are being computed with the exchange rate in the open market. This should be corrected.
” Sometimes, it could be N1,600 or N1700 per dollar which is too high and result to the high cost of goods in the market.
He urged the government to made an intentional intervention to halt the galloping inflation, noting there should be a limit to libralisation.
” Advanced countries like United States of America are still protecting their indigenous people from unfair competition.
” For instance, the US is considered hike in tariff on Chinese goods in the country in order to protect jobs for indigenous people”
Dr Yusuf therefore challenged maritime journalists not only to support the Shippers’ Council in its onerous task of being an economic regulator, but asked them to elevate and focus the discussion on how government should promote policies that would protect the economic interests of Nigerians and not policies that will lead to cargo diversion and smuggling.
It could be recalled that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council has effectively being designated as economic regulator in the maritime industry.
Also, the  Port Economic Regulatory Agency Bill , if passed, will empower the NSC to take on a more significant regulatory role in Nigeria’s maritime industry.
The bill has already been passed by the House of Representatives but awaiting concurrence from the Senate.
The bill, when passed into law,will enhance the regulatory role of the Shippers’ Council.
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Analyses

The invisible toll gates:Why National Single Window is Nigeria’s ultimate economic battleground

Monday Discourse with  Ibrahim Nasiru
Walk into any market in Nigeria today, from the commercial hubs of Lagos to the roadside stalls in Yola, and ask why a bag of rice or an imported spare part costs three times what it did last year.
The typical public commentator will blame global inflation, floating currencies, or macro-economic shocks.
But those who understand logistics know the real truth lies buried under layers of paper, manual stamps, and artificial delays at our seaports.
Nigeria’s international trade is suffocating not from a lack of deep water, but from a deliberate design of convenience.
The recent operational rollout of the National Single Window (NSW) has triggered behind-the-scenes panic among Port cartels, and for good reason.
For decades, keeping our clearing processes fragmented, manual, and dependent on desk-to-desk human interaction was the perfect business model for syndicates.
When cargo dwell times drag on for 21 days, those delays are money in the pockets of the gatekeepers and a death sentence for local businesses.
Let us look at the raw field realities. The push by the Nigeria Customs Service to aggressively crash clearance times down to global 48-hour standards is meeting fierce internal resistance.
Why? Because a unified digital ecosystem means you cannot easily manipulate documentation, hide illicit cargo, or demand “mobilization fees” before signing off a container.
The outcry and protests from certain freight-forwarding syndicates aren’t about technical glitches; they are about the sudden closure of invisible toll gates.
This is exactly why governance at our national gateways can no longer be left to the mercy of transactional bureaucratic habits.
Building deep-sea infrastructure like Lekki Port is a massive physical achievement, but concrete and cranes are useless if the administrative processes at the gate remain backward.
 Real structural reform requires turning our Ports into automated, friction-free pipelines that prioritize production over rent-seeking.
If Nigeria wants to survive this fiscal squeeze, the National Single Window cannot just be treated as another glossy IT project launched in Abuja.
 It requires unyielding administrative enforcement to completely dismantle the corrupt cartels managing the manual desk chains.
The invisible toll gates at our Ports must be completely demolished, and that exact same structural discipline must be scaled across our border stations and trade corridors.
The era of managing international trade with 20th-century paper trails is dying. The future belongs to the builders of automated, transparent systems.
Chief Ibrahim Nasiru, a public affairs analyst,  writes from Abuja 
Continue Reading

Headlines

NANTA Exco embarks on seven-day Ghana retreat, fam trip to deepen regional tourism partnership

Gloria Odion, Reporter

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has commenced a seven-day executive retreat and familiarisation (fam) trip to Ghana, hosted by Safari World, as part of efforts to strengthen regional tourism partnerships and expand cross-border travel opportunities.

The NANTA delegation was received at Safari World Homes in Accra by the Chairman of the Safari World Group, Mr. Ernest Gyekye, who expressed delight at hosting the Nigerian travel trade leaders.

He assured the delegation of a memorable experience throughout their week-long stay.

Speaking on the significance of the visit, NANTA President, Mr. Yinka Folami, described the retreat and familiarisation tour as a strategic initiative aimed at fostering stronger business relationships and promoting collaborative tourism development across Africa.

“This mission is not a leisure trip,” Folami said. “It is a deliberate step to implement and expand our association’s marketing advocacy for Nigerian brands across borders.”

He noted that Nigeria and Ghana share deep historical, cultural and commercial ties that should be leveraged to drive tourism growth on the continent.

“Nigeria and Ghana share history, culture, trade and people. The future of our tourism cannot be built in silos,” he said.

“This retreat is about moving from policy to practice—creating real products, real partnerships and real movement of travellers between Accra and Lagos.”

As part of the programme, the NANTA executives will engage in strategic business-to-business (B2B) meetings with their Ghanaian counterparts, tour key tourism destinations under the Safari World brand, and participate in cultural exchange activities designed to promote stronger bilateral tourism cooperation.

The itinerary spans Safari World’s three flagship destinations, including Safari Homes in Accra, the Aqua Safari riverfront experience, Safari Island Cruise, Safari Nautica, and Safari Recreation and Sports facilities in Ada, as well as the Safari Valley Eco Resort and Safari Eco Park in Dawu.

Operating under the brand promise, “One World, Three Destinations, Over 20 Unique Experiences,” Safari World is leveraging the visit to strengthen its footprint in the Nigerian travel market while positioning Ghana as a premier destination for leisure tourism, conferences, group travel, family holidays and premium tourism experiences.

A major highlight of the visit will be the Executive Dinner scheduled for July 21 at the Safari Valley Eco Resort, where key stakeholders from Nigeria and Ghana’s tourism industries will deliberate on strategies for deepening travel trade and advancing regional tourism development.

The familiarisation tour is expected to provide NANTA’s leadership with first-hand knowledge of Safari World’s tourism offerings, paving the way for the development of attractive travel packages and stronger business partnerships that will benefit Nigerian travellers and the wider West African tourism industry.

Continue Reading

Customs

Ogun Customs spurns claims of Smugglers’ takeover of Idiroko–Sango Ota trading Route

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has dismissed as false reports alleging that smugglers had taken over the Idiroko–Sango Ota trading route in Ogun State, describing the claims as a deliberate misrepresentation of a traffic incident.
In a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Customs (SC) Chado, the Command clarified that the traffic gridlock on the route resulted from the breakdown of an articulated commercial trailer after it fell into a badly deteriorated section of Atan Road, temporarily obstructing the free flow of traffic.
According to the Command, the vehicles caught in the ensuing congestion were legitimate commercial trucks transporting red palm oil to various local markets and had no connection whatsoever with smuggling activities.
It explained that the large number of heavy-duty trucks trapped in the gridlock may have led some members of the public to wrongly conclude that smugglers had taken over the road.
“The reports that smugglers blocked the road are inaccurate. The disruption resulted from a road accident and poor road conditions. The vehicles involved were lawful commercial vehicles transporting red palm oil for legitimate trade,” Chado stated.
The Command urged journalists, social media users and the general public to verify information before disseminating reports capable of creating unnecessary panic or undermining public confidence in security agencies.
Observers within the border trade sector noted that the allegation does not reflect the prevailing security situation within the Ogun I Area Command, where anti-smuggling operations have been intensified under the leadership of the Acting Customs Area Controller, Comptroller O.O. Afeni.
Since assuming office, Comptroller Afeni has strengthened intelligence-driven surveillance, enhanced collaboration with other security agencies and host communities, and sustained pressure on economic saboteurs operating along the Ogun border corridors.
These measures, according to stakeholders, have resulted in significant seizures of prohibited goods and reinforced the Command’s resolve to safeguard Nigeria’s economy and territorial integrity.
Maritime and border trade stakeholders also cautioned against the spread of unverified information capable of undermining the efforts of security personnel or creating a false impression of lawlessness in border communities.
They stressed that while combating smuggling remains an ongoing responsibility, responsible and accurate reporting is equally critical to ensuring that operational achievements are not overshadowed by misinformation.
The Ogun I Area Command reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining its anti-smuggling campaign while facilitating legitimate cross-border trade in line with the statutory mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service.

Continue Reading

Trending