Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mukhtar Shehu Shagari, has intensified efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s inland waterways sector through international collaboration following a strategic meeting with the President of the World Maritime University, Maximo Q. Mejia Jr., on the sidelines of the ongoing IMO Council Meeting in London.

The meeting, held on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, focused on leveraging global expertise to advance inland waterways development, maritime education, capacity building, and sustainable water transportation systems in Nigeria.

Leading the NIWA delegation, which included the Acting Managing Director, Yusuf Girei, Shagari reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to modernising its inland waterways infrastructure and developing the skilled workforce required to drive sustainable growth in the sector.

He observed that Nigeria’s extensive inland waterways network offers enormous potential for transportation, trade, and the growth of the nation’s blue economy.

According to him, forging strategic partnerships with globally recognised maritime institutions is critical to achieving the Federal Government’s objectives of improving safety, operational efficiency, and economic activities across the country’s waterways.

Shagari further emphasised that deeper collaboration in research, training, and knowledge exchange would equip Nigerian maritime professionals with the technical expertise needed to address emerging industry challenges while aligning the sector with international best practices.

Responding, Prof. Mejia reaffirmed the World Maritime University’s commitment to supporting member states through education, research, and capacity development initiatives.

He commended Nigeria’s growing emphasis on maritime development and expressed the University’s readiness to deepen cooperation with relevant government agencies and stakeholders.

The WMU President stressed that sustainable maritime growth depends on sustained investment in human capital, innovation, and strict adherence to international standards.

Both leaders also explored opportunities to expand specialised training programmes, academic exchanges, and institutional partnerships aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s maritime administration and inland waterways management framework.

Maritime stakeholders described the engagement as a significant step towards linking Nigeria’s inland waterways sector with global centres of excellence, enabling the country to benefit from international best practices in water transport development.

The meeting was one of a series of high-level engagements taking place during the IMO Council session, where maritime leaders are discussing policies and initiatives to promote safer, more secure, and environmentally sustainable shipping worldwide.

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has emerged as one of Nigeria’s leading government agencies in trade facilitation following its outstanding performance in the 2025 Business Facilitation Act (BFA) Compliance Assessment conducted by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).

The assessment report, released on July 3, 2026, ranked the NCS among the country’s best-performing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for fully complying with the standards prescribed under the Business Facilitation Act.

Speaking on the assessment, PEBEC Director-General, Zahrah Audu, commended the Service for meeting all compliance requirements while demonstrating significant improvements in the speed, efficiency and responsiveness of its trade-related services.

“The Nigeria Customs Service distinguished itself by meeting all the required standards while recording notable improvements in the timeliness and efficiency of its response to trade-related matters,” Audu said.

She noted that the achievement reflects the Service’s commitment to transparency, accountability and the creation of a more business-friendly trading environment.

According to Audu, the performance aligns with the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business agenda and underscores the NCS’s sustained efforts to enhance operational efficiency and improve stakeholders’ experience.

She further disclosed that 98 per cent of the 69 MDAs assessed under the Business Facilitation Act now meet the expected service delivery standards, describing the outcome as clear evidence of the positive impact of the ongoing reforms aimed at improving public service delivery across the country.

The recognition follows a series of strategic reforms implemented by the Nigeria Customs Service to modernise customs administration. These include the deployment of the B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System, the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme and the Advance Ruling System.

The initiatives have streamlined import and export processes, reduced cargo clearance time, strengthened transparency in customs operations and enhanced Nigeria’s trade facilitation framework, reinforcing the Service’s commitment to supporting economic growth, facilitating legitimate trade and improving Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global trading system.

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter 

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has emphasised the need for interoperable Customs systems across Africa, describing seamless digital integration as a critical requirement for the successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Customs Modernisation Project.

Adeniyi made the remarks on Wednesday, July 1st, 2026, in Lagos during the signing of a 20-year Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Agreement between the AfCFTA Secretariat and Bergmans Security for the commencement of the AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Digital Trade Forum 2026.

The Comptroller-General identified the lack of harmonised digital systems among African Customs administrations as one of the major impediments to the implementation of the continental free trade agreement, stressing that interoperability would significantly improve trade facilitation and cross-border commerce among member states.

“We are indeed delighted because one of the major obstacles that we have faced in this journey of implementing AfCFTA is the interoperability of our systems,” Adeniyi said.

“All Customs administrations cannot operate at the same level, but when we have interoperability, it becomes easier for us all to connect to one system and facilitate trade effectively.”

He described the selection of Bergmans Security to implement the initiative as a landmark achievement for Nigeria’s Customs modernisation programme and a strong endorsement of the country’s digital transformation efforts.

“We are delighted that it is a Nigerian company that has been given this platform to extend what they have been doing to the rest of Africa, enabling us to strengthen trade facilitation and accelerate the implementation of AfCFTA,” he added.

Earlier, the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, disclosed that the Secretariat adopted Nigeria’s Customs modernisation model after observing the country’s success in deploying digital technologies that have enhanced revenue generation, operational efficiency and Customs administration.

Mene described the partnership with Bergmans Security as a major milestone towards establishing a modern and interoperable Customs ecosystem capable of supporting seamless cross-border trade across the African continent.

“Today, Nigeria is already benefiting from the deployment of these technologies,” he said.

“From our perspective, the continent has much to gain from the model introduced here in Nigeria. That is why we signed this agreement today.

“We believe our partnership with Bergmans Security will help us achieve our objective of building a continental, modern and interoperable Customs system that enables economic operators across Africa to benefit from an expanded market.”

The AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project is expected to deepen Customs cooperation among member states through harmonised digital platforms, strengthen trade facilitation, improve revenue collection, and accelerate the full implementation of the AfCFTA by creating a more efficient, integrated and competitive continental trading environment.