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Maritime Journalists document Customs’ operations, maritime development under Tinubu government 

Gloria Odion, Maritime Reporter
The duo of Chief Timothy Okorocha and Francis Ugbokwe, two versatile journalists with many years of experiences under their belts, are set to unveil an iconic book, which they authored, to the public where they have carefully and professionally documented developments in maritime industry, including the revolutionary trend in the Nigeria customs service.
Part of the book presentation is a seminar with a topic titled ‘3 Years After Marine & Blue Economy Ministry, How Far, How Well?.
 This paper will be deliered by the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola.
The book is about the comprehensive examination of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in both revenue generation, anti-smuggling operations and  transformation within the  country’s broader economic and trade architecture.
The book also  places particular emphasis on the reform trajectory and institutional performance under the leadership of Bashir Adewale Adeniyi  as well as the maritime agencies, while situating these developments within the wider policy direction of the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It presents a timely contribution to ongoing national conversations around revenue optimization, trade facilitation, efficiency and institutional accountability.
The book equally captures activities in the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy since its creation in 2023.
In particular focus are its agencies, including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration & Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN).
The book,  titled “Customs Operational Revolution and Maritime Development Under President Tinubu’ is billed for presentation  on June 18th,  2026 in Lagos .
Okorocha and Ugwoke , the authors, have covered the sector for decades, ranging from when they were Maritime  Correspondents in Daily Times and Thisday Newspapers respectively to when they established their own industry publications.
The book  unveils  in many ways the trade facilitation efforts of the present crop of leaders in the   Customs Service under Adeniyi.
It also  unearths the value addition of the Customs Service in revenue generation more than ever before, placing the organization in a top-notch position to be reckoned with and coming after the heavily relied upon oil sector.
Similarly, the book highlights the narratives as far as key developments are concerned in the core maritime sector with emphasis on accolades recorded in the country’s good outing when she returned to the Category C Seat of the International Maritime Organisation  (IMO) after close to a decade.
The return, the book notes, would not have been possible if not for the successes in the piracy war in both nation’s territorial waters and the Gulf of Guinea (GoG), a development that has made it possible for Nigeria to challenge attempts by multinational shipping lines/conference liners to impose war risk surcharges, among others  on cargoes destined for  Nigeria
The book also points to different weaknesses, challenges in customs operations,   maritime development efforts  and what experts insist must be addressed going forward.
Okorocha, who is  the Publisher/Editor-In-Chief of THIS PAGE NEWSPAPER based in Lagos, was the   former  Daily Times Bureau Chief in charge of the six South/South states, with Headquarter in Port Harcourt.
At one time, he also served as the Newspaper’s Acting City Editor at its Kakawa office in Lagos.
He holds an Advanced Diploma in Journalism from the Times Journalism Institute (TJI) Lagos, a Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Financial Management, and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Calabar.
Ugwoke is the Managing Director of Sea Visions & Services Limited (Publisher of Shipping Day Online/Magazine),   and was the  Chief Maritime Correspondent,  Regional Editor (South East), Group News Editor and Online Editor at different times  for Thisday Newspapers.
While working in Thisday Newspaper, he  won the first  Best Maritime Reporter Award in 1997 organised by the Maritime Media Limited (Publisher of Shipping World Magazine).
He   holds Advanced Diploma in Journalism from Times Journalism Institute (TJI)  and Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from   Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU).
As part of the seminar, the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir  Adewale Adeniyi, Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho,  the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration & Safety Agency  (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Modereola and the Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Pius Akutah, are all expected to deliver papers on different topics covering strides and challenges in their organisations in  the past three years and few months of the present administration.
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Headlines

Beyond Lagos: The untold realities of Nigeria’s Eastern corridor seaports

Monday Discourse with  Ibrahim Nasiru
When the World Bank and S&P Global recently released the 2025 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), the headlines understandably erupted in celebration.
For Tin Can Island and Apapa to land in the global Top 20 for performance gains is undoubtedly a historic milestone.
Yet, for seasoned maritime analysts and industry stakeholders, a glaring question remains: what about the rest of Nigeria’s coastlines?
While the satellite data accurately captures a localized turnaround in the Lagos pilotage districts, it simultaneously masks a stark regional imbalance.
The narrative of Nigerian maritime modernization cannot begin and end in Lagos.
 To truly turn the tide, the conversation must expand to the Eastern Corridor encompassing Onne Port, Port Harcourt Port, Calabar Port, and Warri Port.
The fundamental issue is that the World Bank’s CPPI relies strictly on automated vessel AIS data tracking.
It registers a win when ship turnaround times shrink at a berth, but it completely shuts out the structural and geographical deficiencies that prevent large vessels from even sailing into Eastern waters in the first place.
Modern deep sea shipping lines require drafts starting at 15 meters.
While multi-billion naira investments and natural depths allow Lagos and the expanding Lekki Deep Sea Port to receive mega-vessels, Calabar Port remains severely hindered by an un-dredged channel hovering around a shallow 6 to 7 meters.
Port Harcourt suffers from similar shallow constraints. Without aggressive, patriotic capital dredging projects, the devils in the details ensure that these regional Ports remain underutilized, regardless of how much digitization is deployed on paper.
It is easy for policymakers to announce massive financial interventions.
Critics are entirely right to point out that the Federal Government’s massive Port modernization plans must yield measurable metrics on the ground, not just political headlines.
However, recent data shows that commercial viability is waiting to be unlocked.
In overall cargo throughput metrics, Onne Port has consistently proven that the Eastern flank possesses massive economic power when given the operational room to breathe.
The roadmap for greenfield developments like the Ibom deep seaport and others exists, but real execution under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework will be the ultimate judge of these investments.
The current operational reality forces an unnatural economic bottleneck.
 Importers in the South-East and South-South regions frequently clear their goods in Lagos, only to transport them across hundreds of kilometers of volatile highways back to Eastern markets.
This layout drives up logistics expenses, completely wiping out the macro efficiencies celebrated in recent National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) trade surplus figures.
The next institutional hurdle for the Managing Director of the NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, is the implementation of a unified, cooperative Port development strategy.
This requires more than just launching an electronic call-up system; it demands a deliberate re-alignment of tariff structures that actively incentivizes shipping consortia to divert traffic to regional hubs.
Ultimately, a Port system is only as strong as its weakest link. Celebrating the World Bank validation of Apapa and Tin Can is fair, but treating it as a nationwide victory is premature.
Until the institutional bottlenecks, channel depths, and security challenges of the Eastern Corridor seaports are solved with the same urgency applied to Lagos, Nigeria’s maritime sector will continue running on half its cylinders.
True maritime competitiveness is not won by building an elite logistics island in one state, but by unlocking the full economic potentials of the nation’s entire coastline.
Chief Ibrahim Nasiru, a public affairs Analyst, writes from Abuja
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Features

Beyond Lagos ports: Why NPA should position Eastern ports for global recognition

Chief Nasiru Ibrahim

Monday Discourse with Ibrahim Nasiru focuses on why government should look beyond Lagos ports and position Eastern ports for global recognition.

Our feature last week on the World Bank Top 20 ranking for Tin Can and Apapa Ports sparked an intense industry debate.

The biggest question raised: What about the rest of Nigeria’s coastlines?

Dropping tomorrow morning, June 29th, 2026,we go beyond the Lagos headlines to break down the hidden operational realities of Nigeria’s Eastern Ports.

Don’t miss “Beyond Lagos: The Untold Realities of Nigeria’s Eastern Corridor Seaports”

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Headlines

NIMASA unveils digital portal to fast track Seafarers’ discharge book processing

Gloria Odion, Maritime Reporter

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has intensified its digital transformation drive with the launch of an electronic Seafarer Discharge Book Management Portal, a platform designed to eliminate bureaucratic delays and automate the application, verification and issuance of Seafarers’ Discharge Books.

The portal was unveiled on Thursday, June 25th, 2026 in Lagos as part of activities commemorating the 2026 Day of the Seafarer, themed “Carrying the World Trade, Carrying the Risk.”

The initiative is expected to improve service delivery, strengthen the integrity of seafarers’ documentation and boost the international competitiveness of Nigerian seafarers through a fully digital certification process.

Speaking at the launch, the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, described the platform as a major milestone in the Agency’s digital transformation agenda.

“As we celebrate the men and women who keep global trade moving, it is imperative that we also provide them with efficient and secure systems that support their professional development.

“The Seafarer Discharge Book Management Portal eliminates unnecessary bottlenecks, strengthens the integrity of our certification process and reinforces NIMASA’s commitment to the welfare and global competitiveness of Nigerian seafarers,” Mobereola said.

He explained that the portal provides a seamless end-to-end digital process beginning with the verification of applicants’ National Identification Numbers (NIN) through integration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

After successful authentication, applicants create accounts, verify their email addresses through a One-Time Password (OTP), complete live facial capture for identity confirmation and upload mandatory documents, including their Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) certificates and other required credentials.

According to the Director-General, every application is digitally reviewed by the Agency’s Shipping Master, who either approves compliant submissions or returns rejected applications with clear reasons for correction, ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the process.
Upon approval of all required documents, applicants can apply for a new, replacement or temporary Seafarer’s Discharge Book, make payment through the integrated online platform and receive an automatically generated unique Seafarer Discharge Book serial number after successful processing.
Mobereola said the fully automated system would significantly reduce processing time, minimise manual intervention and enhance the security, traceability and authenticity of seafarers’ documentation.
“Technology remains central to our vision of building a modern maritime administration that meets international standards.
“This platform is another demonstration of our resolve to deploy innovative solutions that improve regulatory efficiency while delivering better services to Nigerian seafarers and the maritime industry,” he added.
The launch of the portal reinforces NIMASA’s commitment to maritime safety standardisation, digital governance and efficient regulatory service delivery in line with global best practices.

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