Maritime Agencies
CVFF DISBURSEMENT: Despite NIMASA’s Ultimatum, No Ship Owner Qualifies Now, says Engr Greg Ogbeifun
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
As NIMASA gives banks 72 hours to release modalities for the disbursement of the beleaguered Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF), Falcon Watch Online recalls a recent caution by Engr Greg Ogbeifun, prominent ship owner and pioneer President, Ship-owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) that for now, no ship owner can comfortably say he has a contract and this is the rate or the value of the contract, and ‘if I get money to build a ship, this is the opportunity I have to pay back’. No one can say that.”
Engr Greg Ogbeifun stated this, Monday, while sharing his thoughts on the current discussions by various ship-owner groups regarding the disbursement of the fund.
He spoke at the sidelines of the 9th edition of the African Shippers’ Day event hosted in Lagos by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in collaboration with the Union of African Shippers Councils.
Engr Ogbeifun who is also the Chairman, Starzs Marine & Engineering Co Ltd and member, 2017 Ministerial Interim Management Committee that restructured and repositioned the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, was emphatic that for now, no ship owner is eligible to benefit from the CVFF if ever it is going to be disbursed.
Part of the requirements prescribed by the 2003 Cabotage Act, he told our correspondent, is that the ship owner working to qualify to draw from the Fund must have an existing contract and a viable credit history to convince all and sundry that he has capacity for repayment.
“No indigenous ship owner has valid contracts or is eligible for the fund, as many of them have gone bankrupt,” he disclosed.
On the talk of equity being canvased by various shipowner groups, he said that anyone talking about 15% equity to be provided by ship owners before accessing the fund is ignorant.
For now, there is no guideline in place as required by law, taking cognizance of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy of the Federal Government.
Ogbeifun said the current guideline on CVFF disbursement came into being during the tenure of Alhaji Idris Umar as Minister of Transportation. But as it stands now, the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account regime makes it irrelevant.
Unless the Cabotage Act undergoes amendment in line with the requirements of the TSA regime and the Minister comes up with fresh guidelines for disbursement as per the Cabotage Act, anybody talking about disbursement will be breaking the law, Ogbeifun stated.
“I tell people that no company or ship owner is eligible to benefit from the CVFF.
“Starzs is not eligible too. This is because when I had a contract, and couldn’t get the money, a commercial bank funded the project and paid for the ship. The ship is working and I paid my rent. I don’t have a contract. It is like I want to go and borrow money to borrow a ship and almost all of us are in that situation.
“The new government came into place and says all monies of the commercial banks be moved to the TSA at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The ship owners are saying ‘our money is our private money and should not be in the TSA’.
“But it is there already. So, the government decided to lock it. Right now, no primary lending institution (PLI) or all those commercial banks they say they are nominating have the Cabotage fund with them to tell the government that they can now support and go by the terms of the government. So, if any bank is saying it is a PLI, it means they don’t understand what they’re getting into.
“Right now, there is no guideline in place as required by law by the current Minister taking cognizance of TSA. So now we have TSA, then how do we go about it? Anybody running around will be breaking the law, including the Minister. And those who are arguing to take the money and they don’t have contracts, how are they going to go about it?
“Maybe we should get to talk to ourselves and the only way forward is for the Honorable Minister to take the Act and understand what the Act says and form a small committee, bringing in banks, ship owners and industry players taking cognizance of the current situation and bringing up a guideline and changing the Act through the National Assembly. The conditions can be taken off and verified. Otherwise, government is going to take the money or they simply don’t know what they are doing”, Engr Ogbeifun said.
Maritime Agencies
OIL FACILITIES PROTECTION: Tompolo’s Tantita Acquires High-Tech Drones From US Firm.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Tantita Security Services Ltd (TSSL), the company in charge of security surveillance over oil and gas installations in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region, is in collaboration with Textron Systems Corporation, a United States–based defence and aerospace company, to supply her three advanced Aerosonde Mk. 4.7 Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS).
TSSNL owned by Chief Government Ekpemupolo (popularly known as Tompolo) disclosed the business deal in her website publication of December 29, 2025. The drones will be delivered in a fully ITAR-Free configuration.
The Aerosonde Mk. 4.7 is designed to operate without runways, utilising hybrid quadrotor technology that enables vertical takeoff and landing, as well as fixed-wing flight.
The Aerosonde Mk. 4.7 VTOL UAS, Textron Systems says, is a mature, industry-proven autonomous platform known for its high reliability and operational flexibility. Its dual-mode capability allows it to operate seamlessly in complex and high-risk environments, making it well-suited for security operations within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Giving further insight into the contract, Senior Vice President, Air, Land and Sea Systems at Textron Systems, David Phillips, said the deployment would significantly enhance Tantita’s operational capability.
”The Aerosonde Mk. 4.7 VTOL UAS is a proven solution that will enable Tantita Security Services to expand its capabilities to protect the oil and gas infrastructure essential to Nigerian security and prosperity,” he stated.
The Aerosonde platform has accumulated over 700,000 flight hours across some of the world’s most challenging operating environments, underscoring its reliability and performance.
Tantita Security Services is expected to deploy the systems to strengthen surveillance and protection of critical oil and gas assets across Nigeria.
The contract also includes options for operator training and the supply of additional aircraft to support future capability expansion. Textron Systems noted that the agreement builds on a previous Foreign Military Sale (FMS) contract to Nigeria, further highlighting its ongoing commitment to supporting Nigerian security operations.
Textron Systems is a global leader in uncrewed air, land and sea systems, with the Aerosonde family of UAS currently supporting international customers and operations aboard more than 10 U.S. Navy ships. The company is a subsidiary of Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT), a diversified multinational with interests spanning aviation, defence, industrial manufacturing and finance.
With multiple payload configurations and comprehensive training and support services, the Aerosonde Mk. 4.7 VTOL UAS offers a versatile and efficient solution for security operations in demanding environments, reinforcing Tantita Security Services’ role in safeguarding Nigeria’s critical energy infrastructure.
Maritime Agencies
NEW YEAR CELEBRATION: MARAN Appreciates Stakeholders, Requests Greater Support and Collaboration in 2026.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to celebrate a brand new year, the pioneer maritime journalists’ group, the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), has implored the entire business community, especially maritime industry stakeholders, to join the association afresh in advancing the cause of the industry to ensure more impact and relevance in the national economy in the new year and beyond.
In a New Year message, MARAN Chairman, Mr. Tunde Ayodele described 2026 as a “year of greater impact,” stressing the need for improved service delivery and more robust maritime reportage to support national development.
According to him, the collective efforts of stakeholders in the outgoing year contributed positively to the growth of the maritime sector, urging all parties to sustain the spirit of unity and collaboration in the new year.
“United, we can make Nigeria proud by contributing our quota to national development, each from our own little corner,” the MARAN chairman said.
Ayodele reaffirmed MARAN’s readiness to collaborate with organisations and institutions across the maritime value chain, noting that such partnerships are crucial to making Nigeria’s maritime space one that is admired and celebrated.
He expressed appreciation for the cooperation and support extended to the association throughout 2025 and called for renewed commitment in the year ahead.
“Thank you for your cooperation and support in 2025. Let us do it again in 2026,” he added.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
In the ongoing efforts to thwart economic sabotage in the Niger Delta, Tantita Security Services Ltd, the firm engaged in pipeline surveillance operations in the oil -rich region, has nabbed four suspected oil thieves, intercepting their vessel named MT Thor. Suspects are to undergo trial for economic sabotage .
Speaking at the handover of the suspects at Koko Port, Tantita’s Executive Director of Operations, Capt Warredi Enisouh, said the suspects were apprehended with an unspecified quantity of suspected illegally-sourced petroleum products aboard the vessel.
The interception occurred on 15 December 2025, around the Koko–Excravos axis of Delta State, says a situation report made available by the Special Prosecution Team (SPT) of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Petroleum Product Theft.
The report stated that Tantita alerted the Head of Investigation of the SPT after intercepting MT Thor, allegedly laden with crude oil obtained through illicit means.
It was further alleged that the vessel was being escorted by personnel of the Police Marine Unit, Delta State, who reportedly claimed they were acting on directives from the Force Intelligence Department (FID), Abuja.
Preliminary investigations by law enforcement agencies revealed that the vessel, now classified as an exhibit in an ongoing criminal investigation, is linked to a jetty operated by Ebenco Global Services Limited. Investigation officers disclosed that documents and correspondence connected to the jetty were obtained and are currently under review.
“The owner of the jetty, Mr. Ebenezer, was contacted by investigators and reportedly provided additional documents, including court orders, which are also being analysed as part of the investigation.
“On December 16, a joint investigation team led by the Head of Investigation of the SPT conducted a Joint Inspection Visit in Koko. The team first met at Tantita’s corporate headquarters in Warri for a briefing, which was also attended by the jetty owner.
“During the inspection, investigators attempted to obtain samples from MT Thor but were unable to do so immediately as the vessel had not yet arrived at the jetty, having been towed from an earlier location by security operatives.
“While awaiting the vessel’s arrival, the team inspected other containers suspected to be carrying crude oil within the premises of Ebenco Global Links Limited, where samples were taken from a storage barge.
“MT Thor eventually berthed at about 8:30 p.m. on 16 December, prompting the joint team to adjourn sampling and other procedures until the following day. As of 17 December 2025, investigators were reported to be en route to Koko to continue sample collection and complete investigation formalities,” the report read.
Receiving the suspects, the Head of the Special Prosecution Team of the Inter-Agency Task Force, Omar Sini, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s resolve to dismantle crude oil theft networks in the Niger Delta, assuring that all findings would be thoroughly examined and prosecuted in line with the law.
OIL FACILITIES PROTECTION: Tompolo’s Tantita Acquires High-Tech Drones From US Firm.
NEW YEAR CELEBRATION: MARAN Appreciates Stakeholders, Requests Greater Support and Collaboration in 2026.
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Customs3 weeks agoTincan Customs Achieves N51.8Bn Surplus Above 2025 Revenue Target
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoOIL FACILITIES PROTECTION: Tompolo’s Tantita Acquires High-Tech Drones From US Firm.
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Maritime Agencies3 weeks agoNIGER DELTA SECURITY : Tantita Arrests 4 Oil Thieves, Nabs Vessel .
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoNEW YEAR CELEBRATION: MARAN Appreciates Stakeholders, Requests Greater Support and Collaboration in 2026.