Maritime Agencies
COMTUA, AWAEMAP CRY OUT: NPA MD Is Grounding Nigerian Exports, Sending Us Out Of Business.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The Association of West African Exporters and Maritime Professionals (AWAEMAP) has raised the alarm, accusing the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Mr Mohamed Bello-Koko of strangulating them out of the nation’s agro export-processing industry to give room for him and his cronies to corner undeserved retirement businesses for themselves.
AWAEMAP brought this to light at a press conference it organized in Lagos, Thursday, in conjunction with the Conference of Maritime Truck Unions and Associations (COMTUA).
Speaking at the event, AWAEMAP President, Bunmi Olumekun, alleged that the NPA Managing Director has unilaterally chosen five out of many Export Processing Terminals (EPT) to process agro exports. Sadly, two of these belong to Lebanese with whom he has joint hidden interests.
AWAEMAP is worried that the NPA MD seeks to introduce a new Standard Operating System to establish one-stop terminal for agro export containers.
“These terminals referred to as Domestic Export Warehouse (DEW) are meant to serve the purpose of a one-stop shop for all government regulatory agencies to process all agro export containers and also serve as the only pre-gate terminals for all agro export container boxes seeking access into Apapa Port and all other port complexes in Nigeria for onward shipment to various destinations across the globe”.
The body stated that the measure by the NPA would have received applause if going for the five warehouses as being arranged would serve to complement the already- existing licensed customs warehouses scattered all over Nigeria.
“Rather, the decision is to refuse entry into Nigerian ports all over the country any agro bound container that has not made use of these warehouses.”
Condemning the decision of the NPA MD on this matter, the Association said by designating only five warehouses where export-bound containers would be accepted for getting-in, he has contravened the Customs & Excise Management Act, (CEMA), CAP 84 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990, especially Part IV, Section 82 which clearly makes provisions for the use of licensed warehouses including private warehouses for the purpose of processing export-bound goods.
“This decision is being enabled by the MD of NPA to ensure he continues to enrich himself even after his tenure at the helms of NPA comes to an end.
“The NPA MD who has disclosed and undisclosed interest in these warehouses has decided that for his ulterior motive to come to light, he must likewise destroy the Nigerian economy while at the same time increasing the unemployment rate of Nigerians. We understand that out of the five warehouses being introduced, two are owned and operated by foreign entities.”
The consequence of implementing the policy, AWAEMAP regretted, is that all the existing Licensed/FPIS warehouses used, owned and managed by her members nationwide would become useless.
“These DEW which are limited in number would be overrun by thousands of agro-export containers, thereby creating another round of congestion in and around the ports environment.”
“This policy will take the export industry several years back after all the improvement and achievements recorded since the introduction and implementation of the Electronic Call-up System through the Eto mobile App.”
It warned that if Bello Koko is allowed to implement what it described as a repugnant policy, it will wipe off improvements and sanity being witnessed in Apapa ports. It will also increase the overall cost of exporting agro commodities in Nigeria.
“Invariably, our exportation prowess will decrease as exporters will be forced to sell at a loss as the international rates of exportable cash crops takes no cognizance of the exorbitant cost of exportations of our country due to the greed of a select few.”
AWAEMAP insists that with the introduction of this policy, exporters would be forced to pay for handling charge, weighbridge documentation and examination position fee. Others impositions are trucking to ports and storage charges cumulatively amounting to about $650 extra charges per container box.
“All these charges listed would have been incurred by exporters prior to accessing this DEW invariably leads to double expenditure for exporters.
Currently, agro-export containers departing Benin and other neighbouring countries come at a cost of $200 cheaper than exporting same value agro export container box from any port within Nigeria following numerous regulatory and logistic challenges prevalent in the maritime export industry.
The body condemned the situation whereby her members are being subjected to hardship, finding it hard to survive as they compete with neighbouring countries.
It stressed the need to condemn and prevent the actions of the NPA MD in this matter “as the ripple effect of this policy will cut across all spheres of the Nigerian economy”.
Even though business is free, Bunmi Olumekun observed, “but we can’t be subjected to the whims and caprices of NPA MD’s cronies.”
He beckoned on Nigerians to intervene and help them because of the damage PFP is doing to the system.
In his contribution, the Boat Chairman, Alhaji Ina-Olaji Nofiu Liadi recalled that processing a container in NPA’s so-called five warehouses costs an exporter not less than N120,000. Other constraints, he stated, are unbearable bank charges coupled with expenses on the Eto system. He regretted that this cannot be regulated.
“Our case is on terminal export processing of goods whereby goods already processed are to go through same process in their so-called five terminals.
He said they had gone to court to interpret reasons processed export goods must undergo fresh processing to satisfy NPA MD and his cronies who run the five terminals in question.
Speaking on behalf of his group, Comrade Adeyinka Aroyewun, President, Conference of Maritime Truck Unions Associations (COMTUA) was emphatic that NPA’s agenda was to keep truck owners out of business and to expose them to what he called stiff competition with foreigners now in the picture.
“We’re rejecting the export-processing terminals. Why should we go through NPA whose poor management acts led to ports concession? NPA does not meet with any stakeholder in the transportation industry. He queried the TTP, insisting that terminal operators reject containers due to scarcity of information on the terminals by the NPA, a reason trucks remain on the road despite Eto.
“There is a racket between NPA and TTP Ltd. We’re rejecting NPA’s involvement in cargo handling. Extortion is NPA’s aim, provision of jobs to NPA’s cronies through whom they corner money and chase is out of business.”
COMTUA beckoned on the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to intervene and use her good offices as the economic regulator to discourage the attitude of business grabbing being exhibited by the NPA.
COMTUA warned that the Federal Government should not allow anybody discourage her in the interest to grow export of goods from Nigeria.
Efforts to get the NPA side of the matter before publication were unsuccessful as calls to relevant units were not responded to.
Maritime Agencies
Jumoke Adewole, Industry, Trade and Investments Minister, Commends STARZS at 40, Tasks African Trade Ministers on AfCFTA.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Nigeria’s Trade and Investment Minister, Dr Jumoke Adewole has described forty years in the life of any establishment as a generational milestone. In a sector as capital-intensive and technically demanding as marine and offshore logistics, she added, it is even more significant.
Oduwole stated this in Port Harcourt, Friday, while personally delivering a goodwill message at the 40th anniversary event of the STATZS Investments Company Ltd.
She commended Engr Greg Ogbeifun, the STARZS Founder and the STARZS Group, for standing tenaciously against all operational odds to clock 40 years in active business and still counting.
”Today, we are not simply celebrating longevity. We are recognizing sustainability in institution building. From an entrepreneurial vision in 1986, STARZS has grown to operate a fleet of 11 offshore support vessels, employed more than 200 professionals and executed over 35 offshore marine contracts since 2010.”
Those figures, she explained, represent Nigerian assets, Nigerian enterprise and Nigerian jobs. They prove that Nigerian firms can build technical capability and competing contracts sectors.
The Minister (right) in a warm embrace with Ms Iro Ogbeifun, the SICL MD/CEO (left).
”I am extremely pleased to witness what Engr Greg Ogbeifun has built, and I must say I am particularly proud to see Engr Ogbeifun’s star mentee of mine of many, many years, and a serial entrepreneur in her own right (Ms Iroghama Ogbeifun) leading the institution into its second generation.
”The 40 for 40 initiative, supporting 40 beneficiaries with maritime education and skills opportunity, is also a fitting reminder that enduring institutions do not only build businesses, they build people. So when you have a father like this, you build people, build generations. This milestone comes as an important moment for African children.”
Mrs Oduwole announced that in addition to Nigeria serving as co-champion for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Protocol on Digital Trade, she recently assumed the chair of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers responsible for Trade.
”Our focus is clear. The implementation must translate into practical opportunities for businesses that service over 1.4 billion Africans. That is why Nigeria has developed dedicated AfCFTA logistic solutions to lower the cost of reaching African markets. Through our expanded Rwanda Air Corridor, with Uganda Air and Rwanda Air, air cargo rates that ranged from 3 to 10 USD per kilogram on commercial routes have been brought to under 2 dollars per kilogram. So the air cargo corridor goes to 13 southern and eastern African countries. This is what trade must deliver: lower costs and real routes to market.
The Minister made it clear that for the avoidance of doubt, the real opportunity for trading across the continent obviously lies in the maritime sector, an area the STARZS Group is already making waves!
”As intra-African trade grows”, she explained, “so will demand for stronger coastal shipping, more efficient regional corridors, and logistic systems capable of moving goods competitively across the continent. A company with four decades of maritime experience is already positioning deliberately for that future. I’m aware of some discussions on the West African Corridor.”
”I’m aware of interests from Angola and other southern African regions. And I know it’s just a matter of time before that vision presents itself fully. This also speaks directly to our mandate at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu to expand productive capability, deepen local value chains, and create the conditions for Nigerian enterprises to scale across Africa and beyond.
”In this regard, the wider STARZS ecosystem to work towards expanded additional shipping capability, including a 9,000-ton lifting capacity, is significant. Nigeria needs more investment that retains value locally, develops specialized skills, and reduces dependence on services sourced outside our economy. So, as STARZS enters its fifth decade, my charge is simple: build with greater skill and continental ambition, invest deeper in technology and talent. And apply 40 years of Nigerian maritime experience to the opportunities now emerging across an increasingly integrated African market.”
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Comptroller Oshoba of the Apapa Customs Command has said that the latest seizures highlights the Command’s unwavering vigilance and preparedness to intercept prohibited items, particularly illicit drugs that endanger public health, safety and national security. He emphasized that the action aligns with the zero-tolerance directive of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR against all forms of illicit trade in the nation’s ports.
The CAC reaffirms the Command’s resolve to facilitate legitimate trade while rigorously enforcing the law against the importation of prohibited and restricted goods even as he commended officers of the Command for their diligence and professionalism in carrying out the examination.
The Comptroller was unveiling Twenty-Six Billion, Five Hundred and Sixty- Nine Million, Eight Hundred and Forty-Seven Thousand,Seven Hundred and Seventy-One Naira (₦26,569,847,771) only worth of Cannabis Indica weighing 4,143.5 kilograms confiscated during a routine examination in collaboration with the personnel of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Command’s Enforcement Unit.
Relying on credible intelligence together with the NDLEA, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba had directed that the 1×40ft container number FANU1933352, be subjected to thorough examination which resulted in the discovery on Friday, 10 July 2026.
The container was found to contain Three (3) used vehicles- Red Nissan Micra (2015 model) Black Toyota Corolla S (2019 model) and Gray Toyota Corolla (2015 model) A thorough search of the container led to the discovery of 162 bags containing a total of 8,287 parcels of Cannabis Indica. Each parcel weighs 500 grams.
A breakdown of the seizure shows that Four (4) bags were found concealed inside the Red Nissan Micra (2015 model). The remaining 158 bags were recovered from the floor of the container and in the spaces between the 3 vehicles. No illicit substances were found in the Black Toyota Corolla S (2019 model) or the Gray Toyota Corolla (2015 model).
According to a release by Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, the Command’s image maker, the CAC said:
”This seizure once again demonstrates our untiring commitment in ensuring that only lawful trade thrives in Apapa Port. As we intensify investigation into the matter, I want to reiterate that this command has made the port a no go area for any thing forbidden by our laws.
”Let me use this opportunity to rebuild the confidence of our compliant traders and assure them once again that they would always enjoy the many trade facilitation incentives emplaced by the Comptroller General of Customs”, he concluded.
Comptroller Oshoba ordered the seizure of the 1×40ft container in accordance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and extant laws.
Maritime Agencies
STARZS INVESTMENTS COMPANY LTD: 40 Years of Private Indigenous Initiative, Shaping Nigeria’s Maritime Future.
The crew of Falcon Watch Online was in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to cover the 40th anniversary celebration of excellence, resilience and impactful contributions to Nigeria’s maritime industry hosted by Starzs Investments Company Ltd. In this report, we bring you the first part of our coverage of the Maritime Symposium which peaked the 7-day event.
Izuchukwu Ozoemena reports.
More than anything else, the analogy of the mustard seed aptly captures the story surrounding the establishment and growth of STARZS Investments Company Limited (SICL), Nigeria’s foremost shipping-owning and marine logistics conglomerate, which marked her 40th anniversary in a grand style last week.
In 1986, a Shell-trained young marine engineer, Engr Greg Ogbeifun, in the shipping parlance, chose open waters instead of safe harbours. He began, not with a fleet, but with a single consultancy practice at a time when indigenous participation in offshore marine logistics was almost non-existent and foreign conlomerates controlled nearly every vessel moving through Nigerian waters. That was the safe harbour most professionals would have stayed in. Engr Ogbeifun did not. And for the singular purpose of that drive, vision and commitment, it was said, his establishment blossomed leading to a grand 40th anniversary celebration in 2026.
Addressing the rich assemblage of who-is- who in Nigeria’s marine sector, policy makers and oil and gas moguls at the Maritime Symposium in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, SICL Managing Director/CEO, Ms Iroghama Ogbeifun amplified this scenario of personal doggedness and unwavering vision when she recalled that forty years ago, one man’s vision set sail, and today that vision has become an institution, and “tomorrow, together we chart the course for the next generation of African maritime excellence.”
”Today is more than a celebration of a company reaching a remarkable milestone. Forty years, we will be beings, like they say. It is a celebration of vision, of resilience, of innovation, and the enduring power of purpose.”
”Forty years ago, STARZS began with a bold, very, very bold aspiration to build a world-class indigenous maritime economy that would contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s offshore energy industry. Four decades later, we stand on the shoulders of that vision, grateful for how far we have come and inspired by the possibilities that lie ahead. This occasion is particularly meaningful to me.
She explained that as a managing director and a representative of the second generation of leadership, she does not need to be constantly reminded that true leadership is not merely about inheriting an institution. It is about honoring a legacy while courageously preparing it for the future. With her crew, she said, it has become a privilege to build upon foundations laid through years of sacrifice, integrity, and professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
”Our responsibility is not only to preserve what has been built, but to strengthen it, modernize it, and position it for another 40 years of impact. The maritime industry is evolving rapidly. There’s digital transformation, decarbonization, local content development advancement, AI, energy transition, and of course regional integration.
These are all redefining the future of shipping and offshore logistics. These changes present both challenges and extraordinary opportunities for Nigerian companies. That’s why today is so important.
”Today’s symposium provides an opportunity for meaningful dialogue amongst policymakers, industry leaders, regulators, and the private sector. Together we can explore practical solutions that will strengthen Nigeria’s maritime competitiveness, deepen indigenous participation, and begin to develop the next generation of maritime professionals. We want to see more companies like STARZS emerge where second generation leadership takes charge.”
Ms Iroghama Ogbeifun explained that the day’s event was carefully designed not only as a celebration of the present attainments of SICL but as a platform to discuss what to do to build a globally competitive maritime ecosystem.
” How do we strengthen indigenous participation while remaining internationally competitive? How do we accelerate innovation without compromising safety? How do we prepare our workforce for the technologies that will define the future? How do we ensure that the blue economy becomes a catalyst for sustainable national prosperity? These are conversations that matter not just to Starzs but to our industry and also to the future of Nigeria.”
”So, as we celebrate our past, we must also ask ourselves an important question. What legacy are we building for the generations that will come after us? I believe our greatest achievement will not simply be the vessels we own, the contracts we execute, and the milestones that we celebrate.”
It will be the institutions that we strengthen, the people that we develop, the standards that we uphold, and the opportunities we create for future generations of Nigerians.”
She lavishly thanked Starzs’ clients and partners for their trust over the past 40 years. She appreciated regulators and government institutions for creating an enabling environment that functions to support indigenous participation and industry growth.
Not left out were the company’s employees who, according to her, are at the heart of the organization, cherishing their dedication, professionalism and resilience.
She pledged an unwavering commitment to the pursuit and achievement of the founder’s legacy which remains the overriding inspiration.
Jumoke Adewole, Industry, Trade and Investments Minister, Commends STARZS at 40, Tasks African Trade Ministers on AfCFTA.
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STARZS INVESTMENTS COMPANY LTD: 40 Years of Private Indigenous Initiative, Shaping Nigeria’s Maritime Future.
Starzs Group Emphasizes Sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility, Urges Government to Strengthen Education Infrastructure.
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Maritime Agencies3 weeks agoMARAN Makes History June 23 as it Inaugurates New Leadership.
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoSTARZS INVESTMENTS COMPANY LTD @40: Four Decades of Advancing Indigenous Maritime Excellence.
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Maritime Agencies3 weeks agoMaritime Stakeholders Caution Journalists on Ethical Standards As MARAN Inaugurates New Leadership.
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoLFTZ Customs Achieves Highest Monthly Revenue of Over N87 bn in June; Over N408bn Half-year, 2026.
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Maritime Agencies1 week agoStarzs’ 40th Anniversary: Company Doles out Scholarships to 40 Youths from Host Communities, Maritime Institutions.
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Celebration1 week ago
DATELINE: JULY 4, 2026. Faces at Starzs Investments Company’s Special Thanksgiving in Port Harcourt to Celebrate 4 Decades of Existence.