Ibrahim Nasiru

This July, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho marks exactly two years as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), providing a vital opportunity to separate institutional noise from actual structural progress.

For decades, Nigeria’s maritime gateways were plagued by massive infrastructural deficits, manual gridlocks, and fragmented policies.

Today, through a deliberate blend of home-grown institutional experience and top-tier academic expertise in maritime technology, Dantsoho is rewriting that narrative from the inside out.

He has successfully shifted the NPA away from reactive firefighting and anchored it firmly on aggressive, infrastructure-led growth.

His two-year legacy is anchored on absolute automation and massive capital injection.

By securing a landmark $1 billion in dedicated modernization funding for the comprehensive rehabilitation of aging gateways and aggressively spearheading the National Single Window infrastructure, his office is systematically eliminating the human bottlenecks that feed desk corruption at the Ports.

This structural renaissance is not just about aesthetics; it is about rebuilding the foundational complexes of Apapa, Tin Can Island, Onne, and Calabar to withstand the demands of modern global trade.

The financial reward for this fiscal discipline is already evident, with the authority confidently pacing toward an unprecedented ₦1.489 trillion revenue peak for the 2026 fiscal year.

This massive revenue trajectory cements Nigeria’s role as West Africa’s undisputed trade hub and proves that the administration’s fiscal leaks are being blocked effectively through digital transformation.

By driving the final operational phases of the Port Community System (PCS) to anchor the newly approved National Single Window, Dantsoho is systematically transforming the clearing ecosystem from a manual bureaucrat’s playground into a highly transparent, hyper-efficient digital gateway.

While local operators and stakeholders continue to demand closer engagement, Dantsoho’s strategic blueprint demonstrates that his focus remains entirely on delivering the long-awaited structural environment where every maritime stakeholder can seamlessly thrive.

Sustainable stakeholder engagement isn’t about cosmetic public relations; it is about deploying top-tier technocratic expertise to build a Port ecosystem where trade flows seamlessly, predictably, and profitably.

With automated transshipment channels opening up to landlocked neighbouring countries via Lekki Deep Seaport, the foundation for total ease of doing business has finally been poured.

What makes Dantsoho’s career worth celebrating over the last twenty-four months is the climate in which he has delivered these reforms.

In an era where international shipping lines are highly sensitive to operational delays, the NPA has aggressively reduced ship turnaround times and improved cargo throughput.

This latest two-year milestone is a timely reminder that while maritime challenges are complex, the value of raw human integrity, deep institutional memory, and consistent high-quality output can never be replaced.

Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho has proven that he is not just a placeholder in office, but an architect building the future of Nigerian maritime trade.

Chief Ibrahim Nasiru, public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has released the final list of successful applicants for the position of Assistant Superintendent of Customs II (ASC II), bringing to an end the nearly one-year wait for thousands of candidates who participated in the Service’s nationwide recruitment exercise.

In a public statement issued by the Service, shortlisted candidates were advised to visit the official NCS website to verify their status and obtain information on the next stage of the recruitment process.

Candidates may also check selected national newspapers where the list has been published.

The Service said successful applicants would receive further instructions through their registered email addresses and SMS notifications.

According to the statement, candidates who receive the notification are required to log on to the recruitment portal using either their National Identification Number (NIN) or registered email address to upload a valid Medical Certificate of Fitness obtained from a government-recognised hospital.

The NCS disclosed that the portal for uploading medical certificates will be activated on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, and successful candidates must complete the process within one week of the portal’s activation.

In addition, candidates are expected to update their current state of residence on the portal and formally accept the provisional offer of appointment by clicking the “Accept Offer” button.

The Service added that successful candidates would subsequently receive their Trainee Identification Number within one week after completing the required online procedures.

Further details on documentation, physical screening, including dates, venues and other requirements, will be communicated through the Service’s official channels.

The NCS urged all successful candidates to strictly adhere to the outlined instructions and timelines, warning that failure to comply with any of the requirements could lead to disqualification and forfeiture of the provisional offer of appointment.

“On behalf of the Nigeria Customs Service Board, the Comptroller-General of Customs congratulates all successful candidates on their success in the recruitment exercise and looks forward to welcoming them into the Nigeria Customs Service as they commence a career dedicated to professionalism, integrity and service to the nation,” the statement read.

The recruitment exercise began on December 27, 2024, when the Nigeria Customs Service opened its recruitment portal to fill 3,927 vacancies across various cadres.

The application portal remained open for about a week before closing on January 2, 2025, after attracting hundreds of thousands of applications from across the country.

Shortlisted candidates sat for the Computer-Based Test (CBT) examination in September 2025, while the final physical screening exercise was concluded on May 10, 2026.

The release of the final list marks the completion of one of the Service’s most extensive recruitment exercises in recent years and clears the way for the commencement of training for the newly recruited officers.

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter 

Residents, motorists, port workers and business owners along Marine Road, off Liverpool Road in Apapa, Lagos, have raised the alarm over the rapid deterioration of the road, warning that its continued collapse could trigger a humanitarian, traffic and commercial crisis within Nigeria’s busiest port corridor.

The road, a critical access route serving residential communities, commercial establishments and port users, has developed extensive cracks and deep structural fissures, with large sections of the asphalt visibly sinking and showing signs of imminent failure.

A visit to the area revealed a disturbing scene of widening cracks stretching across the carriageway, while portions of the road have caved in, creating dangerous cavities that now threaten both motorists and pedestrians.

To avert accidents, residents have improvised temporary safety measures by placing concrete traffic drums and caution tapes around the failed sections.

However, they said these makeshift barriers offer little protection, especially at night when visibility is poor.

The situation has heightened fears that the continuous movement of heavy-duty trucks and articulated vehicles serving the ports could accelerate the road’s collapse.

Residents warned that if urgent intervention is not undertaken, Marine Road could become completely impassable, cutting off access to residential estates, business premises and key transport links along the Liverpool Road corridor, while worsening Apapa’s already notorious traffic congestion.

Beyond the safety concerns, the deteriorating road is disrupting daily economic activities.

Motorists are forced to manoeuvre around the failed sections, causing delays, while pedestrians navigate dangerously close to the collapsing edges.

Many residents attributed the worsening condition to recent heavy rainfall, noting that the cracks have expanded significantly, an indication that the underlying structure may have suffered extensive damage.

“This is no longer an ordinary pothole. The road is collapsing before our eyes. The cracks become wider every day, and everyone using this road fears the worst.

“If nothing is done urgently, we are simply waiting for a disaster,” one resident lamented.

Another commuter described the failed section as “a ticking time bomb,” warning that the weight of a heavily loaded truck or another bout of prolonged rainfall could trigger a complete collapse.

The worsening condition of Marine Road has also raised concerns about the potential impact on commercial activities within the Apapa port environment.

As one of the strategic access roads in the area, any disruption could impede the movement of cargo, workers and businesses that depend on the corridor.

Stakeholders have therefore appealed to the Apapa Local Government, the Lagos State Government, the Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, and other relevant agencies to immediately conduct a comprehensive structural assessment of the damaged section and commence emergency reconstruction.

They argued that proactive intervention would not only safeguard lives and property but also prevent a more expensive and disruptive infrastructure failure with far-reaching economic consequences.

The residents further urged emergency management agencies to strengthen safety measures around the affected section pending permanent repairs.

For those who live and work along Marine Road, the consensus is clear: every day of delay increases the likelihood of a catastrophic collapse.

With the road surface continuing to sink and visible cracks widening by the day, they insist that immediate government intervention is imperative to avert what they describe as a looming disaster.