Maritime Agencies
Ex-cadets Condemn Government’s Refusal To Avail Them Seatime Experience, Regret Inability To Secure Jobs
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Government’s refusal to incorporate sea time experience in training young Nigerian seafarers has become a major setback as they cannot secure jobs after training.
Young graduates of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, expressed great displeasure about this anomaly, Thursday, when they visited the International Press Centre of the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN), Apapa, Lagos.
Lack of sea time experience coupled with NIMASA’s refusal to avail them relevant documentations, they regretted, keep denying them opportunities for employment.
Years after classroom work, the ex-cadets cried out, majority of them cannot find ships to practice the theory imbibed at MAN, Oron. They wondered why the authorities feel unconcerned about the need to offer them practical experience in vessels which is badly needed for them to qualify as seafarers.
Speaking on behalf of the ex-cadets, Hameed Saruk Adamu said he left school last year alongside 59 other cadets.
“But today, barely few of us have jobs and sea time experience. There are cadets that left school 10 years ago but are yet to get jobs because shipping companies, like Maersk, prefer to use foreigners as Deck Cadets because their Nigerian counterparts lack sea time experience.”
“Many of our seniors have spent years searching for sea time experience. Many have exhausted their resources without success. Many of us have lost hope and have shut down their maritime aspirations, and have delved into other things, be it good, be it bad.”
He, however, said they were out now to cry out because “we do not want to be bad eggs; we want the story to change for good. We want this struggle to be over,” Adamu said.
He lamented that many of them scour the internet daily, trying to attract the attention of shipping lines, foreign professionals and stakeholders seeking for aid. But regrettably, the story has remained the same.
“Now, a lot of us are frustrated because of family pressure and rejection,” adding, “now it looks like our fate in the industry is tied to who we know. After 10 months of graduation, we are still on one spot because we do not have anybody; we do not know anybody. We know our colleagues who after eight years, seven years, five years, have not set their feet on a vessel.”
He noted that the Mandatory Certificate issued to them expires within five years after which graduates of the Academy cannot seek for employment.
Hameed Saruk Adamu condemned government neglect of the maritime sector with her indifference to the plight of young seafarers, citing a lot of attention other transportation modes such as aviation receive.
“Everyone knows what is happening in the aviation sector, rail and road sector but no one knows or cares about the maritime sector that is capable of increasing our GDP and GNP,” he stated.
The aspiring young seafarers enjoined the federal government to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with shipping companies operating in Nigeria to give opportunity to graduates from maritime institutions in Nigeria and abroad to have sea time experience as well as gain employment.
Now there is a new ministry with focus on Marine and Blue Economy, he suggested, a separate department should be created to focus attention on issues concerning seafarers.
On his part, MARAN President, Godfrey Bivbere, urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency for seafarers seeking for sea time training and employment in Nigeria and abroad. This has become necessary because while other maritime nations train and employ qualified seafarers, Nigeria’s maritime institution graduates are denied employment chances aboard vessels. Government has the responsibility to acquire vessels for their sea time experience and subsequent job placement.
The abandonment of young cadets after their academic work, MARAN President observed, is forcing the young seafarers, male and female, to go begging for sea time placement from foreign shipping lines and practitioners, exposing them to avoidable embarrassment and abuse.
He suggested a deliberate policy mandating all foreign shipping companies operating in Nigeria to give opportunities for young seafarers to have sea time experience.
Over time, aged and retired seafarers and maritime stakeholders have been crying out against the neglect of sea time training for cadets of MAN Oron, NIMASA’s Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) and other maritime training institutions in the country.
Because of lack of sea time experience, a large number of Nigerian cadets have remained unemployed, as shipping companies require high skills and competencies for their operations.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN) is set to confer the prestigious title of Patron on the President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), High Chief Tochukwu Ezisi, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development of Nigeria’s maritime industry and his commitment to humanitarian causes.
The investiture will take place at the MARAN Maritime Annual Lecture (MAMAL), the flagship programme of the association, scheduled to hold at the Nigerian Air Force Event Centre, No. 1 Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
High Chief Ezisi is a seasoned and accomplished freight forwarder whose decades of experience and contributions to the freight forwarding profession have earned him respect within and beyond the maritime community. He is also widely recognised for his philanthropic activities and commitment to supporting individuals and communities.
MARAN President, Mr. Oluyinka Onigbinde, said the decision to honour High Chief Ezisi reflects the association’s appreciation of individuals who have distinguished themselves through professionalism, service and contributions to the growth of the maritime sector.
According to him, High Chief Ezisi’s elevation as Patron is also expected to further strengthen the relationship between MARAN and stakeholders across the freight forwarding and broader maritime community.
The MARAN President noted that MAMAL has, over the years, provided a credible platform for critical discussions on issues affecting Nigeria’s maritime industry, bringing together policymakers, government officials, regulators, industry leaders, academics, journalists and other key stakeholders.
The annual lecture is expected to attract top government officials, bureaucrats, maritime industry regulators, members of the academia and major stakeholders across the Nigerian maritime sector.
MARAN said the investiture of High Chief Tochukwu Ezisi will be one of the highlights of this year’s MAMAL and will underscore the association’s commitment to recognising individuals whose contributions continue to advance professionalism, collaboration and sustainable development in Nigeria’s maritime industry.
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.”
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoSeme Customs Arrests 2, Intercepts Explosives, Expired Noodles As Command’s Revenue Hits N19.8bn.
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Maritime Agencies3 weeks agoCGC Restates Position on Illicit Arms, Unveils Intercepted Weapons and Drugs Worth N373m
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Maritime Agencies3 weeks agoTopfield College Clinches Overall Position as Customs’ WASA Sports Event ends in Lagos.
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoNAGAFF Tasks Bonded Terminals To Suspend All Illegal Fees Collections, Refund N178m.
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoFOU Zone ‘A’ Customs Recovers over N729m Revenue, Intercepts Smuggled Goods Worth N3.24bn.
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoKey Industry Stakeholders To Focus on Ports Competitiveness as MARAN Hosts MAMAL.
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Maritime Agencies1 week agoNAGAFF Petitions IGP On Alleged Police Extortion, Harassment At Sea Ports.
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoNIWA, Private Agency Target Pollution Elimination, Job Creation To Clean Lagos Waterways.