Maritime Agencies
CILT AGM, 2023: Aviation Minister, Gov Obaseki, Others Confirm Attendance.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport (CILT) Nigeria holds her 2023 Annual General Meeting/National Conference at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island, November 27 and 28.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, is the Special Guest of Honour while Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State will unveil a book entitled “Perspectives on Sustainable Innovation in Global Logistics and Transport.”
Other dignitaries expected include Teete Owusu Nortey, Ghanaian Transportation Minister and Dr Mrs Kema Chikwe, one-time Aviation Minister of Nigeria. The AGM will also witness the inauguration of the new CILT executive led by Mrs Mfon Usoro as a reelected President.
At a pre-conference webinar meeting in Lagos, Monday, Ms Adaora Nwonu, co-chair of the Conference Technical Committee, stated that CILT members are expected to pay a conference fee of N55,000 while non-members and young participants will register with N60,000 and N25,000 respectively. An excursion for which attendees would pay N8,000 per participant is incorporated into the conference programme to encourage a blend of outdoor sightseeing and recreation to serve as a creative link for academic and industrial practitioners.
Nwonu announced that there have been positive response for sponsorship from private and public organizations even as some companies have begun to promote the CILT brand.
For the participants, she added, the Conference is expected to provide value for money, networking and rewarding interactive activities. She assured that about 500 participants expected at the occasion will be availed the right facilities for seamless registration while a gala dinner takes place to wrap up the conference after the excursion.
Summarizing the preparations of the Logistics sub-Committee, Mr Jafaar Bello stated that adequate arrangements were in place to ensure seamless traffic and movement to and from the conference venue. Comfortable accommodation at discounted rates have been arranged for delegates in nearby hotels to the venue. The hotels can be accessed on the CILT website.
There will be a boat cruise and lagoon tour on November 28 to enable participants savour the rich serenity of Lagos city and the marine environment.
There will also be a light (metro) rail trip from Marina to Mile 2 and LASTMA, VIS, etc have been mobilized to facilitate stress-free movement.
To cater for healthcare needs of the attendees, arrangements have been made to have healthcare personnel and an ambulance for emergencies.
In her submission, the CILT President, Mrs Mfon Usoro, appraised the conference as of international standard. “The Conference is physical because we want to meet and interact with the participants. Registration is done online while Speakers will collect tags from the Moderator.” She advised participants to register online between November 20 and 21.
CILT, she recalled, is for logistics and transport as it traverses all modes of transportation. During the cultural night, delegates are expected to done their rich cultural attires. Discussion topics will centre on cross-border trade, regional integration, infrastructure development and management. The session will be led by an ECOWAS expert on trade, Prof Jonathan Aremu.
Mrs Usoro described the Conference venue as a 5- Star Hotel. “We’ve upgraded standards. Let’s try to register today or tomorrow”, she advised. Leadership in CILT, she stated, is now metamorphosing from the elderly to the younger members and that is the surest way to sustainability. While acknowledging the integration of the transportation modes, she urged transportation reporters to widely report and give wide content reportage to the Conference.
Dr Gidado, a contributor to the webinar dwelt on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the need to contact the headquarters in Ghana on issues concerning trade in Nigeria.
At the webinar, Prof Kayode Oyesiku who chairs the planning committee said the Conference theme is “Designing the Future of Transportation and Logistics in Africa”. The Conference holds in Lagos following the successes recorded at the 2020 edition, he recalled.
Prof Kayode Oyesiku urged members to register before the event as is the practice worldwide.
According to the Publicity Committee Chairman, Mr Bashir Ambi Mohammed, the unit has recorded healthy and robust public awareness in line with the mandate to create a positive public perception for the CILT. Following aggressive publicity, he said, over 400 registrations have been achieved. While hoping that registrations continue at the venue, he said the committee has been publicizing the Conference link and disseminating information to participants to register for the tour. He appealed for CILT’s membership upgrade at the Conference while the press in attendance should ensure robust and wide coverage.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is ever committed to sustain and even surpass the current zeal with which it is prosecuting enhanced revenue generation, trade facilitation, professionalism and stakeholder collaboration because every legitimate revenue collected strengthens government’s capacity to deliver on its development priorities and improve the lives of Nigerians.
The Command’s image maker, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isa Suleiman Ibrahim disclosed this in a press release on behalf of the Customs Area Command Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba.
The release disclosed a historic revenue collection of Twenty-Eight Billion,One Hundred and Two Million, Nine Hundred and Fourteen Naira, Sixty-One Kobo (₦28,102,000,914.61k) on Tuesday, 18th August, 2026, the highest single-day revenue collection ever recorded by the Command.
The feat, the release indicated, surpasses the previous daily record of ₦20.1 billion, achieved in September 2025, shortly after the assumption of office of the present Customs Area Controller, CAC, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba.
The new record is achieved weeks after the Command recorded an unprecedented ₦323 billion monthly revenue collection in July 2026, thus demonstrating the sustained impact of reforms, improved compliance, enhanced trade facilitation, intelligence-driven interventions and the increasing efficiency of digital Customs processes.
Commenting on the feat, Comptroller Oshoba stressed that the achievement is not simply about figures or records. It is about what the Nigeria Customs Service is contributing to the economic wellbeing of Nigerians.
Revenue generated by the Service, he explained, forms part of government resources used to fund public priorities including infrastructure, security, education, healthcare and other services that ultimately impact the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
He therefore dedicated the milestone to the Government and people of Nigeria, while commending the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the management team of the Service for their continued support for modernisation, automation and reforms aimed at making Customs operations more efficient, transparent and business-friendly.
The CAC also acknowledged the cooperation of compliant importers, exporters, licensed Customs agents and other stakeholders, as well as patriotic Nigerians who have provided actionable intelligence in achieving this feat.
He stressed that every compliant transaction contributes to national development and urged stakeholders to continue supporting legitimate trade since a stronger revenue base gives the government greater capacity to respond to the needs of the people and create an environment where businesses can thrive.
Comptroller Oshoba charged officers and men of the Command to see the record as a clarion call to do more.
He emphasised that revenue collection must be achieved alongside trade facilitation, professionalism, transparency and respect for stakeholders, directing personnel to resolve legitimate disputes promptly and ensure that Customs procedures do not unnecessarily hinder lawful businesses.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
As the political space is heating up and preparations underway for the 2027 general elections, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has restated her firm determination to tighten the noose against the illegal entry of arms and ammunition which could promote violence in Nigeria.
DIG Johnson Babatunde Kokumo (rtd).
Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr Adewale Adeniyi made the vow in Lagos, Monday, while handing over seized weapons to the Office of the National Security Adviser through the Director-General, National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, (NCCSALW), Deputy Inspector-General of Police Johnson Babatunde Kokumo (rtd).
Identifying Robert Eze and Ejiogu Godson as the alleged importers of a consignment containing 399 fully assembled JoJeF pump-action rifles and other firearm components intercepted at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, the Custom boss said surveillance and enforcement operations are being intensified to prevent criminal networks from exploiting Nigeria’s land borders, seaports and airports to import dangerous arms to further their evil intentions.
The two persons arrested.
Additional rifle parts intercepted by the Customs include 89 frames, 16 heat shields, 10 trigger pins, three pistons, 25 locking lugs, 80 charging handles and 39 pistol-grip screws. Others are 34 springs, 57 trigger groups, 66 foregrip latches, 45 foregrips/handguards, four pistol grips and five barrels.
“We are about entering a major election cycle, and we know that by this period, men of the underworld will want to use our borders, our ports, our airports to bring in items like this,” CGC Adeniyi warned.
”We are going to redouble our efforts to ensure that we do not allow them to do so,” he added.
He explained that since Customs cannot physically open every container entering the country, applying technology-driven risk profiling in operations has become a tool to identify suspicious consignments. Risk management system enables the Service to determine which containers require physical examination. This particular interception, he explained, demonstrates the effectiveness of the system.
Having completed the inventory and assessment of the illicit shipment, the CGC handed over the seized armaments to the Director General of the NCCSALW. This underscores a unified inter-agency commitment to taking dangerous weapons entirely off the streets and ensuring that cabals behind the trafficking network are tracked down and brought to justice.
The CGC described the development as more than a seizure, noting that the interception, investigation, arrest of suspects, prosecution and handover of the firearms represented a complete enforcement chain.
He added that Robert Eze and Godson Ejiogu, the two suspects arrested during the preliminary investigation, had been remanded by the Federal High Court in Lagos, awaiting arraignment for August 25.
The Service, he pledged, would continue to strengthen intelligence – gathering, risk management and collaboration with sister security agencies to identify and disrupt attempts to smuggle firearms into Nigeria.
Accepting the arms and ammunition for further action, the NCCSALW Director-General, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Johnson Babatunde Kokumo (rtd) described the handing-over as a decisive step in strengthening the collective security of the people.
”This is more than a ceremonial handing/taking over of seized intercepted illicit weapons. It is a statement of intent, a commitment to protect lives, uphold justice and preserve the stability of our communities.”
The proliferation of illegal small arms and light weapons, he explained, remains a primary catalyst for terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and insurgency and other violent crimes.
”Armed violence fuelled by uncontrolled weapons through illegal importation or smuggling exerts a devastating toll on civilian lives, disrupts communities and undermines the foundation of governance and development. Nigeria cannot be indifferent to this reality. Our own assessment has shown with discomforting clarity that a significant proportion of illegal arms in circulation may have at some point passed through official channels.”
DIG Kokumo reiterated that illicit weapons taken out of the hands of nonstate actors is a direct blow to criminal networks and a vital step towards safeguarding innocent citizens.
”So far, over 21000 arms and light weapons have been retrieved while over 19000 have been destroyed since the establishment of NCCSALW.”
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, will be the keynote speaker at the 2026 edition of the Maritime Annual Maritime Lecture, (MAMAL).
The flagship annual programme being hosted by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) takes place on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at the Nigerian Air Force Event Centre, No. 1 Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. Time is 10am.
MAMAL is MARAN’s flagship programme which brings together key government officials, maritime industry regulators, academics, shipping magnates, freight forwarders, journalists and other critical stakeholders in the maritime sector to deliberate on issues affecting the growth and competitiveness of Nigeria’s maritime industry.
The theme of this year’s lecture is “Nigerian Ports Modernisation, Charges and the Competitiveness Question.”
The Executive Director, Technical, of TANTITA Security Services Limited, Captain Warredi Enisuoh will serve as the Chairman of MAMAL 2026, while the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, will be the Special Guest of Honour.
Speaking on the significance of the theme, MARAN President, Mr. Yinka Onigbinde, said the lecture would provide an important platform to examine the urgent need for modernisation of Nigerian ports and the benefits such modernisation would bring to the nation’s economy.
According to him, efficient and modern port infrastructure is critical to improving cargo handling, reducing delays and costs, attracting investment and strengthening Nigeria’s position as a competitive maritime hub.
Onigbinde said MAMAL 2026 would also provide an opportunity for stakeholders to engage in constructive discussions on port charges and other factors affecting the competitiveness of Nigerian ports.
He described Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman as an experienced voice in the maritime sector whose wealth of knowledge and experience would add significant value to the discussions at the lecture.
The MARAN President also expressed the Association’s appreciation to Captain Warredi Enisuoh for accepting to chair the event, describing his experience in maritime security and industry development as an added value to the programme.
He noted that the presence of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy as Special Guest of Honour further underscores the importance of the theme and the Federal Government’s efforts towards repositioning Nigeria’s maritime sector for greater efficiency and competitiveness.
The MARAN President noted that the 2026 edition of MAMAL is the fourth in the series, underscoring the Association’s commitment to providing a credible platform for informed debate and professional engagement on critical maritime issues.
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