Headlines

AMANO offers employment opportunities to graduating cadets at MAN,Oron.

Eyewitness Reporter

The Alumni Association of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (AMANO) has organized a one-day career fair at its alma mater.

The event, held at the Academy’s campus, was led by AMANO’s Excos and members, under the guidance of the association’s president, Emmanuel Maiguwa.

Industry experts such as Captain Garba Gajere, Engr. Ini-obong Ebong, Anne Dung, Oamien Ailemen, and Inoma Frances shared their remarkable journeys in the maritime industry with the passing-out cadets, urging them to take pride in their profession and continue their careers with confidence.

They emphasized the importance of dedication, hard work, and continuous learning in a fast-evolving industry.

In addition to the insightful presentations, AMANO also organized an “on-the-spot” interview session aimed at providing immediate employment opportunities for some of the cadets.

A CV clinic was held to better equip them with the skills needed to navigate the job market successfully and prepare for the next chapter in their careers.

The event also saw the active participation of members from the Akwa Ibom Chapter of AMANO, further enriching the gathering with their invaluable contributions.

The career fair was an excellent opportunity for the graduating cadets to network with industry leaders and gain practical insights that will guide them in their professional pursuits.

Headlines

NIMASA partners ILO for enhanced human capacity development

Gloria Odion, maritime reporter

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, has said that investment in human capacity development remains central to the Agency’s vision of creating a robust maritime industry capable of meeting the emerging global industry demands.

Dr. Mobereola said this at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NIMASA and the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organisation (ITC-ILO) in Turin, Italy aimed at developing NIMASA’s institutional capacity through targeted technical assistance, training, and capacity-building for staff and relevant stakeholders in the Nigerian maritime industry.

Represented by the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mr. Chudi Offodile, the NIMASA DG noted that the partnership with the ITC-ILO fits into the Agency’s deliberate objective of structured capacity building programmes for maritime professionals.

According to him, “This partnership, therefore, responds directly to that objective and further reinforces the Agency’s commitment to structured and targeted capacity development, while leveraging the ITC-ILO’s expertise and global pedigree to strengthen the training of maritime labour inspectors, policymakers, and trainers in the interpretation and implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended”.

While highlighting the strategic importance of the partnership to Nigeria’s maritime industry development, the DG said “we remain committed to ensuring that the knowledge, systems, and partnerships developed through this engagement translate into measurable improvements in maritime labour administration and support a sector that is globally respected, professionally driven, safe, and firmly anchored on the principles of decent work”.

Also speaking, the Director of the ITC-ILO, Mr. Christopher Perrin expressed appreciation for the partnership, assuring that the Centre would deploy its faculty and resources to support Nigeria’s quest for sustainable human capacity development.

The MoU is the outcome of several interactions and strategic meetings between the two organisations with the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services NIMASA, Mr Jibril Abba and Head of Training at ITC-ILO, Giuseppe Zefola as focal persons while the Regional Adviser/Technical Expert at ILO, Dr. Amos Kuje provided valuable guidance.

Commentaries

Turning the Tide: How Nigerian ports earned global recognition

Monday Discourse with Ibrahim Nasiru

For decades, the narrative surrounding Nigerian maritime gateways was dominated by stories of bureaucratic gridlock, crippling congestion, and costly logistics delays.

However, a major structural shift is underway.

The World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence recently released the 2025 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), delivering an international endorsement of Nigeria’s maritime modernization.

For the first time in history, Nigeria’s primary seaports—Tin Can Island Port Complex and Apapa Port Complex—have been ranked among the Top 20 Most Improved Ports globally.

According to the index, Tin Can Island Port ranked 10th globally in performance gains, improving its CPPI score by an impressive 42 points.

Closely following, Apapa Port secured the 12th spot worldwide with a 35-point increase.

This data-driven bench mark tracks actual vessel call data, evaluating real-world metrics like ship turnaround times, berth productivity, and operational coordination.

By out performing established global hubs like France’s Marseille Port, Nigeria has signaled to international shipping lines that its gateways are shedding their legacy of inefficiency.

This global recognition is not an accident; it is the direct out come of a deliberate, continuous improvement paradigm championed by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho.

The NPA has aggressively focused on automation and digitization to remove human bottlenecks through the streamlined deployment of the electronic call-up system and single-window digital tracking.

Furthermore, slashing bureaucracy has reduced long delays that previously forced shipping lines to divert to neighboring West African Ports, while equipment modernization has upgraded critical terminal infrastructure under the strategic guidance of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.

The real world dividend of these operational upgrades is clearly visible in Nigeria’s macroeconomic indicators.

Faster vessel turnaround times directly drive down freight costs and logistics expenses, allowing trade velocity to skyrocket.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) confirms that these maritime efficiencies strongly supported Nigeria’s remarkable ₦7.54 trillion trade surplus in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026.

By providing a highly responsive and predictable platform for both imports and export-bound agricultural and solid mineral commodities, the NPA has integrated seamlessly into President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s broader economic revitalization agenda.

While this World Bank ranking marks a historic milestone, the leadership at the NPA recognizes that this is a baseline, not a finish line.

As Dr. Dantsoho noted, the next institutional mountain to climb is sustaining this momentum.

The ultimate objective is to transition Nigeria’s Ports from being merely the “most improved” to standing firmly among the most competitive and highly efficient logistics hubs on the planet.

For global investors, international shipping consortia, and local businesses, the message from the 2025 CPPI report is unmistakable: Nigeria’s maritime sector is open for business, modernized, and built for growth.

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

Headlines

NIWA concessions Nigeria’s waterways clean-up project to private firm

–Seeks safer, cleaner, seamless inland water transportation

Funso OLOJO, Editor

In a bold move to promote cleaner, safer and more secure inland waterways transportation in Nigeria, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has concessioned the cleaning of the nation’s waterways to PartsCentral Limited, a multi-sector indigenous environmental company.

Under the arrangement, the company will provide strategic oversight and implementation support for a comprehensive clean-up initiative aimed at restoring Nigeria’s inland waterways and enhancing their economic potential.

The project, initiated during the administration of the immediate past Managing Director of NIWA, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, is seen as a major step towards creating a cleaner, safer and more investment-friendly inland waterways ecosystem in Nigeria.

According to NIWA, the initiative is designed to tackle the persistent challenges of waste pollution, indiscriminate dumping of refuse, oil spillage and environmental degradation across the country’s vast inland waterways through a structured and sustainable approach.

In a press statement, the Authority said the project would identify major sources of pollution, facilitate systematic waste removal and promote innovative waste-to-wealth solutions capable of creating employment opportunities for communities located along the waterways.

NIWA added that beyond environmental restoration, the project is expected to improve navigational safety by removing obstacles that hinder the smooth movement of vessels and other watercraft.

“It is also expected to support the conservation of aquatic resources, strengthen the fisheries value chain, and contribute significantly to the realisation of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the Marine and Blue Economy sector.

“As part of its broader objectives, the initiative seeks to reposition Nigeria’s inland waterways as attractive destinations for local and foreign investment by promoting environmental sustainability and enhancing the overall efficiency of water transportation,” the Authority stated.

Stakeholders believe that cleaner waterways will stimulate economic activities, encourage tourism, boost commerce and unlock the enormous untapped potential within the nation’s blue economy.

Speaking on the forthcoming rollout of the project, the Managing Director of PartsCentral Limited, the concessionaire, Henry Olaoluwa Onifade, assured Nigerians that every aspect of the programme would be professionally executed to deliver lasting results.

He described the initiative as a historic intervention in the management of Nigeria’s inland waterways and reaffirmed the commitment of the project team to ensuring transparency, sustainability and measurable environmental impact.

Onifade also called on government agencies, private sector operators, host communities, environmental groups and other stakeholders in the maritime sector to support the initiative, stressing that collective participation would be crucial to its success.

He expressed confidence that with sustained collaboration, Nigeria would soon witness cleaner, safer and more productive inland waterways, setting a new benchmark for environmental stewardship and waterway management in the country.