Maritime Agencies
EXPORT TRADE: AMATO Decries Sabotage of Port Entry Protocols By Operators, Restates Need For Automation.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) has expressed concerns that efforts being made to grow Nigeria’s export trade and encourage exportation through automation are being brazenly thwarted by unscrupulous exporters and transporters in the business trade, reports say.
According to Adeshina Ajibola, AMATO’s Head of Research and Development, the whole essence of encouraging export trade stands to be rubbished if the trucking system to access and exit the ports are not automated.
“Once there is any loophole for abuse, trust Nigerians, they will take advantage of it to the point that racketeering will now come in and this is why AMATO has been pushing for full automation of truck movements in and out of the ports.”
He regrets that when the export process is left open, there is a free-for-all and the tendency for abuse is enhanced. What is currently being experienced for import cargoes will also be seen in the export process.
There are indications that the nation’s export trade is currently being threatened
As some unidentified exporters and transporters have devised means to undermine the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the movement of export cargoes to the port from designated Export Processing Terminals in Lagos, established rules and regulations governing port entry are being circumvented without taking into account the consequences on due process and the economy.
This development, findings show, has led to congestion of Export Processing Terminals in the princit of the Lagos Ports as cargoes meant for movement into Apapa ports are currently stuck at these approved Terminals.
Reports suggest that unscrupulous exporters may be working to sabotage the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) initiated by the Nigerian Ports Authority through sidestepping the official protocols for port entry.
This development, Vanguard gathered, has disrupted the operation of the approved EPTs in Lagos as exporters that comply with the protocol for port entry have had their cargoes stuck as they are not regularly called into Apapa port due to the activities of exporters that operate outside established protocols.
The unauthorized movement of export cargoes outside established protocols typically takes place under the cover of night. Under special arrangements and compromise, several government officials at Eleganza Roundabout in Apapa allegedly oversee such unauthorized operations.
Vanguard’s investigation reveal that trucks carrying export goods now occupy the service lane at the Sunrise end of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Commercial Road, opposite Guaranty Trust Bank all the way to Mr. Biggs Junction, as well as Creek Road, turning it into a waiting area, truck park for night movement of cargo to the Lagos Port Complex.
Vanguard further gathered that movement of export cargoes into the ports was caused by an approved ETP that is far from the port corridors.
This particular ETP, it was gathered, admits in their facility and exit trucks into port in virtual circumvention of the call-up system instituted by the NPA, a development that is at variance with the Standard Operating Procedure through which trucks are admitted into the port.
Admitting trucks virtually is also against the established process through which NPA makes requests from EPTs for export truck and container manifests before such cargoes enter the ports in a regulated manner.
The seamless movement of export trucks into port, it is observed, has been managed for a long time until about a month ago when the ugly trend of bypassing the SOP started.
The Task Force constituted by the Nigerian Ports Authority to manage the movement of this category of cargoes has been overwhelmed by the situation.
The Task Force, it was gathered, has begun to turn these illegal trucks back to wherever they were coming from. But these trucks would always find their way to the established export lane on Wharf Port access road.
This is because the compromised government officials at Eleganza Roundabout keep allowing them to come back to export cargo lane and eventually gain access into Apapa port.
Reacting to the development, the Apapa Port Manager, Mr. Debo Lawal, denied the suggestion that many trucks that enter the port may have not been manifested. No truck gets access to the port without a manifest, he added.
However, this does not distract from the reality that many trucks access the Apapa port without manifest following the trending irregularities.
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Maritime Agencies
OPERATION WHIRLWIND: Customs Auctions 20,500 Litres Of Confiscated PMS, NMDPRA Warns Against Products Diversion.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The Operation Whirlwind interventionist outfit of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has vowed to aggressively confront and combat the menace of illegal diversion and cross-border smuggling of petroleum products.
National Coordinator of the outfit, Deputy Controller of Customs Abubakar Lucky Aliyu made the pledge in Ikeja, Monday, as he supervised the public auction of 20, 500 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS) contained in 820 jerrycans of 25 litres each
intercepted from smugglers through intelligence-led operations along major smuggling corridors in Imeko, Ilara, Ilaro, Idiroko and Seme. Five vehicles used to convey the products were also seized, bringing the combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the petroleum products and vehicles to about ₦38 million.
Aliu described Operation Whirlwind as a strategic initiative established by the Comptroller General of Customs, Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi to curb the illegal exportation of petroleum products, safeguard Nigeria’s energy security, protect government revenue and ensure that fuel meant for domestic consumption remains available in-country.
DC Aliyu warned that petroleum products smuggling continues to undermine the nation’s economy by disrupting local fuel supply, encouraging artificial scarcity, depriving government of revenue and financing criminal activities.
The Service, he assured Nigerians, would continue to deploy intelligence, surveillance and enforcement strategies to dismantle smuggling syndicates operating along the nation’s borders.
He commended the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), partner security agencies and officers of Operation Whirlwind for their sustained collaboration in tackling petroleum smuggling.
Mrs Grace Dauda
Also speaking at the event, the representative of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mrs. Grace Dauda, reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to partner with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Nigeria Customs Service under Operation Whirlwind.
While NMDPRA remains committed to creating an enabling environment for legitimate business, she explained, operators in the downstream petroleum sector must strictly comply with regulatory requirements governing the movement of petroleum products.
Marketers are free to transport products to any part of the country for lawful commercial purposes, provided every consignment is properly manifested from the point of loading to its final destination.
She stressed that proper documentation enables regulators to monitor the movement of petroleum products nationwide, prevent diversion into illegal channels and ensure adequate supply for households, agriculture, fisheries and small and medium-scale industries.
Dauda urged Nigerians to support the fight against fuel smuggling by reporting suspicious movements of petroleum products to NMDPRA offices located across the 36 states or to other relevant security agencies.
She further advised operators to comply fully with the existing regulatory framework to avoid losses resulting from the interception of illegally diverted products.
The NMDPRA representative commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, the Authority Chief Executive of the NMDPRA and the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind for strengthening inter-agency collaboration in protecting Nigeria’s petroleum resources and promoting legitimate business activities.
Both agencies reaffirmed their commitment to intensifying intelligence gathering, surveillance and enforcement operations to eliminate petroleum smuggling, protect the nation’s energy security and safeguard Nigeria’s economy.
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.
OPERATION WHIRLWIND: Customs Auctions 20,500 Litres Of Confiscated PMS, NMDPRA Warns Against Products Diversion.
Jumoke Adewole, Industry, Trade and Investments Minister, Commends STARZS at 40, Tasks African Trade Ministers on AfCFTA.
Apapa Port Customs Seizes Cannabis Sativa Worth over N26.5bn
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.
STARZS CEO Commissions School Projects, Champions Environmental Protection and Tree -Planting to Mark 40th Anniversary.
Starzs’ 40th Anniversary : Group’s CSR Will Rewrite Our Story, Benefitting Communities Say.
Starzs’ 40th Anniversary: Company Doles out Scholarships to 40 Youths from Host Communities, Maritime Institutions.
STARZS 40TH ANNIVERSARY: ‘We are Faith-based, And Doing Well’- CEO Iroghama …Thanks Founder For Laying Solid Foundation
DATELINE: JULY 4, 2026. Faces at Starzs Investments Company’s Special Thanksgiving in Port Harcourt to Celebrate 4 Decades of Existence.
Starzs Investments Begins Week-long Celebration of her 40th Anniversary With a Thanksgiving Service.
LFTZ Customs Achieves Highest Monthly Revenue of Over N87 bn in June; Over N408bn Half-year, 2026.
STARZS INVESTMENTS COMPANY LTD @40: Four Decades of Advancing Indigenous Maritime Excellence.
WAR ON ILLICIT DRUGS: CGC Adeniyi Showers Commendations on Apapa Customs, Hands over Massive Contrabands to NDLEA, NAFDAC
Tincan Customs Pledges Strong Partnership with the Media, Sues for Total Compliance by Stakeholders.
Maritime Stakeholders Caution Journalists on Ethical Standards As MARAN Inaugurates New Leadership.
1. EXECUTIVE PLATFORM. AMES 2024: TIME TO CHANGE GOVERNMENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS SHIPPING DEVELOPMENT IS NOW, AMES President Charges FG.
2023 ELECTIONS：CILT Hosts Seminar on Logistics & Electoral Process
APFFLON Seeks Immediate Reform of CRFFN, Replacement of Registrar.
B’ODOGWU TRADE PORTAL: Customs Consolidates, Pilots Form ‘M’ Processing.
OMIS AWARDS, 2022: Greg Ogbeifun, Industry Gurus For Special Recognition.
JANUARY-MAY REPORT: Seme Customs Hits N2.6bn, Facilitates ₦35.1bn Exports.
HALF YEAR, 2024: Apapa Customs Nets ₦1.024 Trillion, Records 143% Increase.
B’Odogwu: Apapa Customs Collects ₦161b in 3 Weeks, Assures of Improvements .
PHOTO NEWS: Maritime Capacity Development
FG Set To Re-establish National Shipping Line, To Take Advantage of $10 bn Annual Ship Charter Market.
Photo News: Salah Celebration
Sylvanus Ekpo, ex-Editor, Shipping World Magazine, loses Mum
Mama Theresa Enisuoh Due For Burial April 27
MAN, ORON: It’s Encomiums Galore From International Seabed Authority (ISA).
WAR AGAINST OIL THEFT: Tompolo’s Company Nabs VLCC Laden With Crude Oil
TRADE FACILITATION: FULFIL CUSTOMS REQUIREMENTS, ENJOY AEO, B’ODOGWU, says Ayokunle.
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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 Agencies3 weeks agoTincan Customs Pledges Strong Partnership with the Media, Sues for Total Compliance by Stakeholders.
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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.