Monday Discourse with  Ibrahim Nasiru

Let’s be completely honest about why food prices are killing us in Nigeria right now. Everyone is yelling about poor farm yields, expensive fertilizer, and bad weather.

But there is a massive, quiet killer that nobody seems to want to talk about: the absolute nightmare of moving food from point A to point B.

Right now, we push over 80 percent of our freight onto broken roads. Think about a truck driver hauling tomatoes from a farm up North down to Mile 12 market in Lagos.

Between the collapsing asphalt, the endless security checkpoints, and the agbero extortion, those trucks sit for days in the heat. Half the food rots before it even hits a consumer’s plate.

That rot is basically a hidden tax that makes every single plate of food in this country more expensive. If we want to fix hunger, we have to look past our ocean coastlines and fix the logistics channels right inside our own backyard.

True food security is going to live or die by how we use our inland waterways and dry Ports.

Moving things by water is just common sense because it is drastically cheaper than burning diesel on a highway.

The Niger and Benue rivers are sitting right there—natural blue highways connecting rural farming communities straight to major commercial hubs.

If we can move bulk grains, yams, and livestock on barges instead of trailers, we instantly slash the cost of logistics.

When transport costs drop, market prices drop, simple. Plus, if we actually invest in river Ports with proper cold-storage docks, we can finally stop losing 40 percent of our harvests to post-harvest rot.

Then you look at our Inland Dry Ports in places like Kaduna, Funtua, Jos, and Kano. Right now, people only think of them as places for handling customs paperwork and international shipping containers.

That is a massive waste of potential. These dry Ports need to become major, decentralized food hubs.

Imagine a dry Port equipped with massive grain silos, modern food processing plants, and direct rail links. Instead of a desperate farmer selling their harvest for pennies to a predatory middleman because they are scared the food will spoil, the dry Port gives them a place to store, grade, and ship their produce safely based on real demand.

But let’s talk about the elephant in the room: money and politics.

The Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy is operating on tight budget realities, making it incredibly hard to fund these critical infrastructure and safety upgrades quickly.

On top of that, bureaucratic source-deductions by the Accountant-General keep choking the cash flow of the very maritime agencies trying to do the work.

The federal government cannot finance this alone. We desperately need real Public-Private Partnerships.

We need to give private investors a reason to build the specialized agricultural docks, cold-storage warehouses, and barges we actually need.

At the same time, we have to stop the madness of regulatory turf wars. Right now, agencies like NIWA and the Shippers’ Council are tripping over each other, creating multiple transport levies that do nothing but inflate the final cost of food.

You cannot solve a food crisis on the farm alone. Food security is entirely dependent on transport efficiency. It is time for the government to stop treating agriculture and maritime as two separate worlds.

If we clear the channel and get our waterways and dry Ports working for our food supply, we can finally feed this nation.

Chief Ibrahim Nasiru, a public affairs Analyst, writes from Abuja

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter 

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced a Strategic Refresher Course for 100 Deputy Comptrollers as part of its commitment to strengthening leadership capacity, preparing senior officers for higher responsibilities, and sustaining ongoing institutional reforms.

The workshop, organised by the Service’s Human Resources Development Department in collaboration with the Customs Police Unit, began on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College (NCCSC), Gwagwalada.

Declaring the programme open on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, the Commandant of the College, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs (ACG) Dow Gaura, described the participants as carefully selected officers being groomed for greater leadership responsibilities within the Service.

According to him, the refresher course is designed to equip the officers with the knowledge, discipline and leadership qualities required to lead by example and effectively guide the next generation of Customs personnel.

“These officers are expected to serve as role models for the next generation of Customs personnel.

“This training extends beyond professional competence; it is focused on discipline, succession planning, conduct and exemplary leadership,” Gaura stated.

Delivering the keynote lecture, retired Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, Dera Nnadi, reminded participants that promotion to senior ranks comes with increased responsibility rather than personal privilege.

“The rank of Deputy Comptroller does not merely confer authority; it confers service.

“You owe responsibility to the Service, your colleagues, your subordinates, the nation’s leadership and our stakeholders,” he said.

Also speaking, the Deputy Commandant and Director of Studies of the College, Comptroller Haniel Hadison, urged the officers to uphold the core values of discipline, professionalism and regimentation.

He stressed that senior officers must demonstrate exemplary conduct, maintain high professional standards in appearance, and foster positive relationships with their subordinates.

In his welcome address, the Acting Customs Provost Marshal, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Sanusi Saulawa, explained that the refresher course was specifically designed to prepare Deputy Comptrollers for the expanded responsibilities associated with senior leadership positions in the Nigeria Customs Service.

He noted that the initiative reflects the Comptroller-General’s unwavering commitment to continuous capacity development, adding that officers must continually update their knowledge, strengthen their leadership competencies, and uphold the discipline, professionalism and integrity expected of future managers of the Service.

Participants expressed appreciation to the Comptroller-General for approving the training, describing it as timely, relevant and impactful.

They pledged to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the course to strengthen discipline, improve service delivery and uphold the reputation of the Nigeria Customs Service as they assume greater leadership responsibilities across the country.

Funso OLOJO, Editor

In a significant step towards preserving Nigeria’s rich maritime history for future generations, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has commissioned a maritime museum at the Nigerian Maritime Resource Development Centre (NMRDC), Kirikiri, Lagos.

The museum is designed to preserve and promote Nigeria’s maritime heritage by housing historical artefacts and archival collections that reflect the country’s maritime evolution.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, represented by the Agency’s Director of Planning, Research and Data Management Services, Mrs. Aisha Jidda, formally declared the museum open to the public.

Dr. Mobereola described the facility as a repository of Nigeria’s maritime history and a centre dedicated to safeguarding the nation’s maritime heritage for generations to come.

According to him, the museum will serve as an educational and research hub, showcasing historical artefacts, archival materials, maritime innovations, and the evolution of Nigeria’s maritime industry over the years.

He stated that the establishment of the museum reflects NIMASA’s commitment to promoting maritime awareness, supporting research, inspiring future generations of maritime professionals, and preserving the enduring legacy of Nigeria’s maritime sector.

The NIMASA Director General urged students, researchers, industry stakeholders, and members of the public to visit the museum to gain a deeper appreciation of Nigeria’s maritime journey and its strategic contribution to national development and the growth of the Marine and Blue Economy.