Connect with us

Headlines

Tanzania queues behind Nigeria for election into IMO Category C seat 

— as TASAC embarks on 5 -day visit to understudy NIMASA’s operations 
Funso OLOJO with Gloria Odion 
Nigeria’s quest to grab the elusive Category C seat of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)  received a big boost on Monday ‘ May 19th, 2025 when the government of Tanzanian pledged to support Nigeria to regain the prestigious seat it last won nine years ago.
The pledge was made by the Director General of TASAC, Mohammed Salumu, when he led a high powered delegation of officials from the Tanzanian maritime administration to NIMASA for a 5- day benchmark visit to understudy the operations of the agency.
Mr Salumu, who was represented by
Mrs. Leticia Mutaki, Director of Maritime Safety, Security and Environmental Protection, declared that Nigeria is a force to be reckoned with in  African maritime administration and therefore the country will adequately represent the interests of African countries on the IMO category C seat.
“We believe Nigeria’s position on the IMO Council is vital for the region and the continent at large. Tanzania will continue to support this ambition,” she affirmed
The Tanzania maritime administration has embarked on the visit to NIMASA to learn the rope in maritime administration.
According to the representative of DG of  TASAC,  Mrs Mutak, the maritime administration of the East African country wanted to share from the experience of NIMASA on maritime safety, security, marine pollution control and how NIMASA fulfill its obligations to the IMO.
She said that the visit would also afford the two maritime administrations to formalise a long-term partnership focused on addressing common maritime challenges, enhancing regulatory capacity, and boosting youth employment across the continent.
The strategic collaboration, which was initiated during a visit by TASAC officials to the NIMASA headquarters in Lagos, is expected to cover key areas including maritime safety, flag and port state control, seafarer certification, digital transformation, and environmental protection frameworks.
Receiving the delegation, Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, stated that the visit goes beyond ceremonial diplomacy, describing it as a foundation for structured, continent-wide maritime engagement.
“This study visit represents a valuable opportunity for our agencies to share expertise, best practices, and innovative solutions to common maritime challenges,” Mobereola said.
“We are not only here to share what we’ve achieved, but also to learn from TASAC. We view this as a mutually beneficial partnership.”
He noted that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, had endorsed the initiative, citing similarities in policy direction and a shared commitment to unlocking Africa’s blue economy potential.
Mobereola outlined areas of collaboration including oversight mechanisms, flag and port state control, ship registration, oil pollution compensation systems, seafarer training and certification, financial sustainability in maritime administration, and digital transformation.
He cited the Deep Blue project as one of NIMASA’s key successes in tackling maritime insecurity but stressed that such efforts must be complemented by regional cooperation.
“Our Deep Blue project has helped enhance security in Nigeria’s waters, but maritime threats are transnational and require collective approaches. This collaboration is timely,” he said.
He also expressed NIMASA’s readiness to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding with TASAC, which is currently being reviewed by NIMASA’s legal and technical teams.
Mobereola stressed the importance of the partnership in advancing Africa’s unified voice on the global maritime stage, especially at international bodies such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
“African maritime administrations must begin to coordinate their positions on critical issues such as market-based measures for the green transition,” he said.
“We must also explore comparative advantages in maritime energy and alternative fuels.”
On the continent’s rising role in seafarer supply, Mobereola said both countries can develop maritime human capital through coordinated training programmes and create jobs for Africa’s growing youth population.
Mr Mohammed Salumu , the Director General TASAC applauded NIMASA’s regulatory reforms and technical progress, particularly in maritime security and digitalisation.
He noted that TASAC was particularly interested in learning more about Nigeria’s approach to port and flag state control, ship registry processes, maritime training structures, and how NIMASA sustains its operations financially.
Salumu who was represented by Mrs. Leticia Mutaki, Director of Maritime Safety, Security and Environmental Protection who led the delegation said
“Your Deep Blue security framework is impressive, and your investments in human capacity development are commendable,” Salumu  said.
“Tanzania is keen to learn from your systems, especially in areas of certification, flag state inspections, and seafarer welfare.”
He also confirmed that the visit had a dual purpose — to learn and to offer support for Nigeria’s quest for IMO Category C seat.
The TASAC DG described the visit as the beginning of “an important technical alliance” and assured that TASAC would also share best practices from its own regulatory environment to support mutual growth.
Both sides expressed optimism that the collaboration would yield a formal partnership that will promote operational efficiency, improved compliance, and a united African voice in maritime policy decisions.
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