Mohammed Shosanya

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola,has implored investors to take advantage of the opportunities and partner with the new Ministry to drive development

He said this in Abuja, when he received a renowned entrepreneur and sustainability expert, Prof. Gunter Pauli, who is on a three-day visit to Nigeria.

He noted that the Nigerian water ways have enjoyed adequate security with no single incidence of piracy for the past two years.

He added:”We have sufficient control of our ocean in terms of security and there has been nothing like piracy in our ocean. So, the fear of investors about the safety of their investments is out of it now.”

According to a statement by Henshaw Ogubike, Director, Press and Public Relations,
Oyetola also disclosed that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) will soon commence the implementation of full automation and cargo tracking across the various ports in the country to promote Port efficiency and Ease of Doing Business.

He stated that the Federal Government is keen on the diversification of the Nigerian economy away from the oil industry, hence, it was intentional when it created the new Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

“Again, we are going to be talking of automation of ports to make them more efficient. I would like to tell you that in another two years, it will all change. We are bringing in automation and cargo tracking as we are working on that for implementation”, he said.

He added that the government is interested in partnering with relevant stakeholders under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement to maximize and explore the resources of the ocean sector for rapid economic development, improve the livelihood of its people and create jobs as well as preserving the health of the ecosystem.

He said: “Seventy percent of the resources that are available actually comes from the ocean, and we have it in abundance here”.

” I believe in the Public Private Partnership arrangement. The government will create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive and our concept in dealing with these, is purely in PPP, and I see quite a lot of opportunities there”

Speaking earlier during the visit, Professor Gunter Pauli said his team was in Nigeria to partner with the Ministry on commercial and technological innovations and job creation around the sector. He argued that his partnership with the Ministry will attract foreign and local investments that would create a lot of opportunities for the Nigerian youths.

Mohammed Shosanya

Sahara Group has said the dedication and contribution of energy traders and shippers to the medical interventions of Mercy Ships in Africa would help enhance access to quality healthcare and promote sustainable development on the continent.

David Walker, Head of Chartering at Sahara Energy International Geneva (a Sahara Group Company) said traders and shippers in Geneva had over the years demonstrated unwavering commitment to the cause of bringing quality healthcare to thousands of beneficiaries in Africa.

Walker who recently became Chairman of the Mercy Ships Cargo Day Committee in Geneva, noted that similar collaborative fund-raising interventions by businesses across the globe would provide more life-changing surgery, medical training and infrastructure renovations to support the local health care systems in Africa.

He said his tenure would focus on consolidating current success stories and exploring other avenues for more positive impact. “We believe this opportunity to contribute to the remarkable work Mercy Ships is treasured by the shipping and trading community here in Geneva. For Sahara Group, being part of Mercy Ships aligns perfectly with our commitment to Making a Difference, responsibly,” he said.

Speaking on Walker’s appointment, Kola Motajo, Director, Sahara Group, said: “This marks another milestone in Sahara Group’s ongoing efforts to collaborate with organizations dedicated to transforming lives. We believe that sustainable change comes through strategic partnerships, and our association with Mercy Ships is a testament to our commitment to creating a better future for all, leaving no one behind.”

He said Sahara Energy Geneva would continue to spearhead interventions that promote sustainability through collaboration with like-minded organizations and investment in projects that will “bring energy to life responsibly “. He added that Sahara Energy Geneva is embarking on a 5-year tree planting exercise across several countries in Africa as part of its contribution to combating climate change and deforestation on the continent.

Sahara Energy Geneva has been unwavering in its support for the Mercy Ships Cargo Day initiative, a medical outreach that has been saving lives and bringing smiles to beneficiaries since its inception in 2016. Mercy Ships cargo day has raised over 7millions USD in the last 7 years.

Mercy Ships operates hospital ships that deliver free surgeries and other healthcare services to those with little access to safe medical care. An international faith-based organization, Mercy Ships has focused entirely on partnering with African nations for the past three decades. Founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens, Mercy Ships has worked in more than 55 countries, providing services valued at more than £1.3 billion.

Mohammed Shosanya

The Nigerian Customs Service will implement every necessary action against saboteurs of Nigeria’s economy,Acting Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi,has said

The Service would cripple the illegitimate business of smuggling in the country also declared this when he received Ambassadors of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN—Habitat, led by Dr. Raymond Edoh, at the Customs Headquarters, Abuja.

“On behalf of the entire management team of the Nigeria Customs Service, I wish to inform you that we will partner with you in this campaign, and we will grant you all forms of support you may need to carry out this campaign and I want to assign one of our amiable DCGs, Abba Kura, to work with you closely,”he told his visitors.

He also welcomed Dr Raymond’s offer to engage officers and men of the Service in capacity—building to enhance their understanding of digital literacy skills, adding that the Service had already started embracing technology to advance its work by introducing related courses to officers.

He appreciated the partnership between the Nigeria Customs Service and UN—Habitat and believes that the collaboration signifies a commitment to tackling smuggling and enhancing trade facilitation in the nation, setting the stage for a more prosperous future.

He said:“What we’re trying to do is to raise a modern Customs Service through partnering with stakeholders to achieve our goals because we value partnership, and I am happy that you extended your hands of collaboration to work with us.”

He also acknowleged their pledge to train officers and men of the Service in digital literacy skills, assuring that the Service will continue to prioritize proficiency in the fight against smuggling through technological approach.

He underscored the import of digital skills, promising that the relevant Service department will enhance trade facilitation.

The Director of UN—Habitat, Dr. Raymond Edoh, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for reposing the responsibility of heading the Nigeria Customs Service on the Acting Comptroller-General, describing him as “a competent Customs officer who knows the terrain and masters the job.”

They visited the Ag. CGC at the Customs Headquarters to express their interest in partnering with the Service,he said.

He appreciated the Service for being a “gatekeeper of the country” that protects citizens against border threats, stressing that his organization will collaborate with NCS to mitigate the smuggling of illicit goods and train officers and men of Customs on digital literacy skills and certification.

Mohammed Shosanya

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Oyo/Osun command generated N47.40 billion between January and September 2023.

It disclosed that it seized smuggled goods with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N308.28 million during the same period.

Comptroller Ben Oramalugo has been deployed to Oyo/Osun Area Command to take over the from Comptroller Babajide Jaiyeoba, who was equally deployed to the Apapa Area Command of the service.

He formally took over from Comptroller Jaiyeoba on Monday September 18, 2023 as the substantive Customs Area Controller of the Oyo/Osun Area Command.

Speaking at a a brief handing over ceremony at Ibadan, Oyo state headquarters of the Command, the outgoing Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Jaiyeoba,welcomed and congratulated the incoming Customs Area Controller on his posting to the Oyo/Osun Area Command.

He disclosed that the Command under his leadership surpassed its revenue target for the year 2022, adding that it has so far had collected the sum of N47,408,251,086.73 as revenue and made various seizures of uncustom goods with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N308,282,459.00 for the period of January-September 2023.

He commended officers and men of the Command for their cooperation, display of professionalism and resilience, as he emphasized that these qualities enabled the Command achieved set objectives.

He urged all Command officers to ensure they keep working as a team, perform their duties within the ambits of the laws guiding the Service and extend the same cooperation he received to his successor.

The incoming Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Oramalugo, highlighted the core duties of Customs officers as revenue generation, trade facilitation and suppression of smuggling, which he stated were the mandates he would uphold.

He appreciated his predecessor for the extensive work done and laudable achievements during his tour at Oyo/Osun Area Command, as he promised that he would continue from where he stopped.

He implored all officers to extend to him the same cooperation given to his predecessor, to enable the Command achieve set objectives and attain greater heights.

Mohammed Shosanya

Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola,has decried the deplorable condition of ports in Nigeria, saying the rots and cracks in the ports infrastructure,over staying of cargoes at the ports, excesses of foreign fishing firms is discouraging.

Oyetola,who expressed this recently during a working visit to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council
Headquarters in Lagos,added that long bureaucratic processes are major factors responsible for elongated cargo clearance time, thereby frustrating shippers and leading to the jettisoning of their containers at ports.

A statement by Henshaw Ogubike, the Director, Press and Public Relations,quoted the Minister as stating that he would engage the leadership of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on the issue of abandoned cargoes at the ports in a bid to evacuate overtime cargoes and address other bottlenecks.

He said government will continue to provide conducive working environment for the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), that will facilitate the disposal of overtime cargoes at all the ports in the country and pave way for effective and efficient service delivery.

He also assured the council that government would look into their challenges and effect necessary reforms where needed for the success of the Blue Economy agenda of the current administration.

In his welcome address, the Executive Secretary of the NSC, Hon. Emmanuel Jime, highlighted issues requiring urgent attention to include the amendment of NSC Act to institute effective port economic regulation.

Besides,Jime said that the NSC is a laboratory where policy making that drives the marine space is being regulated, adding that its objective is to ensure that Nigeria is the Maritime Hub in the sub- Western Region.

He disclosed that the actualization of one-percent (1%) freight stabilization fee on import and export to Shippers Council as enshrined in the NSC Subsidiary Legislation; implementation of the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN); establishment of a National Fleet, among others are the current concerns of the council.

He expressed his confidence in the administration of the new Miinister adding that the Minister has displayed passion towards creating impact in the maritime sector.

According to the statement,the Minister also visited the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), where the Acting Registrar, Chinyere Uromta,implored him to reconsider the Federal Government’s decision to exclude CRFFN from the National budgetary allocation, emphasizing on the crucial roles the Council plays in the freight forwarding sector.

She said CRFFN has brought so much sanity in the logistics of supply chain subsector and the Nigerian shipping industry. Hitherto, the era was characterized by missing cargoes.

She added that CRFFN is a Federal regulatory Agency and doubles as international regulator of freight forwarding practice in global setting.

She maintained that the CRFFN jurisdiction includes marine, aviation (cargo airport) and land borders.

She said: “Our establishing Act portrays us as a professional body and not a regulatory agency and we are making a clarion call for urgent amendment to CRFFN Act”.

Mohammed Shosanya

Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola,hasrecommended the establishment of a national carrier through Public- Private Partnership arrangement for freight transport in the country.

He gave the recommendation recently during a facility tour of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency’s Headquarters, her Skill Acquisition Center,
Search and Rescue Base Clinic, Maritime Resource Center and others in Lagos.

A statement signed Henshaw Ogubike, the Ministry’s Director, Press and Public Relations,quoted Oyetola as saying that Nigeria bears the singularity of being the only Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries ( OPEC) member with no national line that bears its country’s flag.

He said the development was unacceptable, noting that establishment of a national carrier will put paid to the 30% freight charge used to charter vessels.

He explained that his call for a national line should not be misrepresented as a call for the re-establishment of the moribund Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL).

He admittedly spoke on his interest in NIMASA’s Modular Floating Dock due to the fact that it has the capacity to generate jobs and stem capital flight. He however, called on the agency to explore the buy-in of stakeholders.

On the potentials of the Blue Economy to the nation, the Minister stated that the economy of Barbados is purely dependent on tourism and Nigeria with one of the largest wetland in the world would be ideal for harnessing of coastal tourism.

He assured that fishing and other elements with potential to grow the economy will be explored.

The Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Bashir Jamoh thanked President Bola Tinubu for creating a stand-alone Ministry for the maritime sector, stating that this has always been clamoured by Stakeholders and Nigerians.

Jamoh said that with the creation of the Marine and Blue Economy, Nigeria now joins 7 other countries in the world that have stand-alone Blue Economy Ministry.

He assured that with this development, NIMASA is better positioned to maintain and put Nigeria on the global sphere.

Mohammed Shosanya

The Acting Comptroller General,Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has approved key appointments and redeployment within the service to ensure operational efficiency.

Comptrollers Florence Nanu Ogar-Modey and Queen Ogbudu have been appointed Acting Assistant Comptroller Generals Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and Zonal Coordinator Zone B, respectively,according to a statement.

Some of the Comptrollers redeployed to various Customs formations include Compt. Jaiyeoba Jide from Oyo/Osun Area Command to Apapa Area Command, Compt. Dera Nnadi from Seme to Tin-Can Island Port, Compt. Timi Bomodi from KLT to Seme, Compt. Ahmed Abe from PCA Zone ‘C’ to Kaduna Area Command and Compt. Babandede Mohammad from Lilypond Export Command to Lagos Free Trade Zone Command.

Others are; Compt. Dauda Ibrahim Chana from Investigation Headquarters to Kano/Jigawa Area Command, Compt. Martina Tilleygyado from Non-Intrusive Inspection to KLT Area Command, Compt. Oloyode Adekunle from Tin-Can Island Port to Import & Export Headquarters while Compt. Zanna Chiroma will be leaving Import & Export for PCA Zone ‘C, among many others.

The Acting Comptroller-General quoted in the statement as congratulating the new appointed/redeployed officers and imploring them to put more effort into achieving the service’s core mandates of revenue generation,suppression of smuggling, and trade facilitation.

Mohammed Shosanya

The Nigeria Customs Service Area 1, Command Port Harcourt Rivers state,raked in

₦57,405,834,420.68 betweenf January and July, 2023.

The Customs Area 1 Controller, Comptroller CD Wada,who disclosed this at a press conference in Port Harcourt,said the the current revenue represents 10.6 per cent increase from the corresponding period of 2022.

He noted that apart from the month of April where the maritime sector experienced a global shipping downtime, which affected the revenue of the Command’s records, every other month had surpassed its corresponding months of the year 2022.

He added that the significant milestone was achieved in the month of March where the sum of ₦11,675,918,637.99 was realized, as against ₦8,310,978,933.69 in March 2022.

He said that such: “feat could not have been achieved without painstakingly engaging with our critical stakeholders through several forms of sensitization programs and other forms of training particularly on issues of Non-conformity with statutory clearance procedures.”

He emphasized that the feedback the Command got could be attributed to some of their successes,adding that the Command also insisted that all unpaid assessment must be paid.

Speaking on intervention, in terms of additional value through interventions, the Command generated ₦988,127,504 in the period under review.

He added that:”This interventions were derived from Demand Notices (DN) issued to importers with infractions on their importation.”

He also disclosed that the Command had put more emphasis on 100 percent physical examination policy of the service, and as a result, some containers suspected to have falsely declared had been placed under detention, pending further investigation.

He warned any would be smuggler to avoid Area 1 Command, as according to him,their containers would be seized and culprits arrested and prosecuted in the court of law.

On anti-smuggling activities,he stated that within the period under review, the Command had embarked on a working tour to Bayelsa and Ahoada Out-stations to appraise the Customs activities in those areas.

He added: “The visit to Bayelsa State also afforded us the opportunities to pay courtesy visits to the heads of other government security agencies. The purpose of this visit was to seek further collaboration and synergy with them in order to foster a better working relationship and to achieve National interest in line with the extant guidelines.

“I am very optimistic that with the Command’s strategy of maximizing the collection of Customs duties, other levies, and payment of all unpaid assessments, the Command will surpass the revenue collected in 2022.

“We cannot thank the Ag. Comptroller General of Customs BA Adeniyi MFR and his management team enough for their timely support and encouragement towards the achievements of these successes.”

In a bid to drive the development of marine resources, President Bola Tinubu has introduced a new Ministry of Marine and Blue economy

The creation of Blue economy, according to analysts, is a good step in the right direction and great news for the long struggling people of Nigeria.

Here are five (5) things you probably don’t know about the newly-established Ministry:

1. The term ‘Blue economy’ in Economics connotes the exploitation, preservation and regeneration of the marine environment. It is generally used in the scope of international development when describing a sustainable development approach to coastal resources.

2. The concept includes a wide range of economic sectors, from the more conventional fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, coastal, marine and maritime tourism

3. According to Rear Admiral Atakpa, a leading Nigerian expert on the blue economy, we must optimise the benefits of traditional and emerging sectors in a sustainable way by using an important tool known as “Marine Spatial Planning (MSP).” The MSP is considered the most important element in the establishment of a functional and virile blue economy, and the most critical requirement next to maritime security,” Real Admiral Atakpa added.

4. Blue economy also attempts to embrace ocean ecosystem services that are not captured by the market but provide significant contribution to economic and human activity. They include carbon sequestration, coastal protection, waste disposal, and the existence of biodiversity.

5. According to analysts, if the ministry is properly harnessed, it will boost Nigeria’s revenue, significantly reduce budget deficits – at a time we are using over 90 percent of our revenue to service our debts. It has just been reported that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) owes JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs $7.5 billion in what it classified as “securities lending.”

THE BLUE ECONOMY

🔘The World Bank defines the Blue Economy as the “sustainable use of ocean resources to benefit economies, livelihoods and ocean ecosystem health”.

🔘Blue Economy Activities
1 Maritime shipping
2 Fishing & aquaculture
3 Coastal tourism
4 Renewable energy
5 Water desalination
6 Undersea cabling
7 Seabed extractive industries & deep sea mining
8 Marine genetic resources
9 Biotechnology

🔘The Blue Economy is estimated to be worth more than $1.5 trillion per year globally. It provides over 30 million jobs and supplies a vital source of protein to over 3 billion people.

Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, HE ADEGBOYEGA OYETOLA will oversees all of these agencies.

Agencies under Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in Nigeria are:

National Inland Waterways Authority

Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency

Nigerian Shippers’ Council

Maritime Academy of Nigeria

Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding of Nigeria

Nigerian Ports Authority

Mohammed Shosanya

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA, has faulted the allegation by Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, leveled against it to the effect that three properties were acquired by the organization in England saying it has not acquired any property in any foreign country in the last 30 years.

Osagie Edward the Assistant Director, Public Relations,who conveyed this in a statement, insisted that there is no truth in the allegations, as it did not acquire any property in England, as claimed by Femi Falana, on Channels Television Programme Sunrise on Friday.

It said:”Our attention has been drawn to the allegation by Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, leveled against the Management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA, bordering on acquiring three properties in England under this regime.

“This allegation was made by Senior Advocate Femi Falana Friday on Channels Television Programme Sunrise.We wish to state that there is no truth in the allegations, as NIMASA did not acquire any property in England, as claimed by Femi Falana.

“Furthermore, the Agency has not acquired any property in any foreign country in over 30 years.While we respect the views of the learned silk on public matters, NIMASA demands that he takes responsibility and retract this false claim.

“We also use this medium to caution that he and other members of the public should verify their facts before going public with any information”