Maritime Agencies
Information Minister Highlights President Tinubu’s Achievements, says 2025 Is A Year of Consolidation.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
For President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, 2025 is a pivotal year to consolidate and build upon the significant achievements recorded in the first 19 months of governance.
Information and National Orientation Minister, Muhammed Idris, made the declaration in Abuja during a ministerial briefing to highlight the President’s achievements so far.
According to a release by Henshaw Ogubike, Director, Public Communication and National Orientation, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the Minister emphasized the importance of reflecting on the accomplishments as the administration approaches its mid-term.
“This inaugural briefing for 2025 serves as a reminder of our progress and the context in which these gains are being realized,” the Minister stated.
Key areas of achievement under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership, Minister Idris outlined include fiscal, macroeconomic, and legislative reforms. Others are fuel subsidy removal which he termed a strategic move which has plugged financial leakages amounting to hundreds of billions of Naira annually.
Others achievements are in the area of foreign exchange transparency and stability which has led to the introduction of the Electronic Foreign Exchange Matching System (EFEMS). This has resulted to unprecedented stability in the FX market, clearing billions of dollars in backlogs and boosting foreign investment. The Naira recently reached an eight-month high in the official market, the Minister recalled.
In oil and gas reforms, the Minister said that in 2024, Nigeria became the most attractive destination for oil and gas investments in Africa, securing over $5 billion in Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) even as the Electricity Act of 2024 provides a framework for state governments to establish regulated electricity markets, following a constitutional amendment.
On Local Government Autonomy, a landmark Supreme Court ruling in July 2024 empowered local governments with unprecedented financial autonomy, with an Inter-Ministerial Committee established to ensure compliance.
Speaking on Targeted Interventions, especially concerning Students’ Loan Fund, Minister Idris said over 169,000 students have benefited from NELFUND, receiving N32.8 billion for school fees and upkeep while new Development Commissions have been established for the North-Central, South-East, and North-West regions alongside the creation of a Federal University of Environmental Technology.
The Federal Executive Council, he disclosed, recently approved $1.07 billion from the World Bank for health programs including targeted subsidies for cancer patients.
While a backlog of over 200,000 international passports were cleared within three weeks in 2024,
an investment of over $450 million has been made to develop Nigeria’s CNG value chain.
He announced that in the area of infrastructure development, under President Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria has become a hub of construction activity. Recent approvals from the Federal Executive Council include over 2.5 trillion Naira for various road projects. These include N1.334 trillion for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, N470.9 billion for access roads to the Second Niger Bridge and N195 billion for the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway reconstruction.
On Defence and Security, he announced that in 2024, security forces neutralized over 8,000 terrorists and bandits, rescued 8,000 kidnap victims, and established a Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell in collaboration with the UK’s National Crime Agency.
A Ministry of Livestock Development was established in 2024 to tap into a multi-billion-dollar agricultural opportunity, contributing to significant drops in grain prices.
On December 18, 2024, President Tinubu presented a proposed budget of N49.7 trillion, later increased to N54.2 trillion due to additional revenue projections. The budget, termed the “Budget of Restoration,” prioritizes Security (N4.91 trillion), Infrastructure (N4.06 trillion), Education (N3.52 trillion) and Health (N2.48 trillion).
Minister Idris reaffirmed that President Tinubu’s bold initiatives are fostering greater fiscal capacity, a reformed tax regime, and improved living standards for Nigerians through various support programmes.
“We are witnessing a transformative era where hope is being renewed for all Nigerians regardless of age or gender, across the nation,” he concluded.
Maritime Agencies
Ogun 1 Customs Repeats Stern Warning To Smugglers, Confiscates Latest Brand of Range Rover, Other Contrabands.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The Acting Controller, Ogun Area 1 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, has, for the umpteenth time, warned smugglers and people involved in sabotaging the economy to keep off the jurisdiction of the Command as dragnets in place will always catch them.
The Customs boss made the affirmation at Idiroko, Thursday, while unveiling a 2026 Range Rover Sport Autobiography P530 valued at N417, 011, 982 seized by the Command between August and September, 2026. Other seizures include 1,204 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 8675 litres of PMS, 3,893 parcels of cannabis indica weighing 1,878 tonnes and 428 pneumatic tyres. Others include 24 bales of second -hand clothing, four sacks of used shoes and 500 litres of diesel all with a combined Duty Paid (DPV) was N2.469 billion.
The seizures, Afeni explained, reflects the level of commitment of the Command to enforcing customs laws and protecting the country’s economic interests.
He said the Command’s anti-smuggling operations, intelligence-led enforcement and enhanced collaboration with sister security agencies had yielded tangible results in tackling illicit trade and strengthening border security across Ogun State.
Through her sustained anti-smuggling operations along the border corridors, he added, the Command had also intercepted substantial quantities of other prohibited goods .
The Acting Controller said the Command continues to maintain a firm balance between revenue generation and legitimate trade facilitation despite the current constraints she is grappling with.
It has never relented in diligent duty collection, baggage assessment and physical examinations at designated border points.
The Command also optimizes its import and export verification processes to facilitate compliant trade while maintaining regulatory oversight on sensitive goods, including mica stone, CNG, white talc and crushed thermal coal.
To tackle cross-border crime, Afeni explained, the Command has strong operational collaboration with sister security agencies such as the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service, NDLEA and environmental management agencies.
Flowing from this, the Command handed over 3,893 parcels of cannabis sativa seized during the period to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Idiroko Special Command, for further investigation.
To build mutual trust and reduce hostility during enforcement operations, the Command has also been engaging traditional rulers, youth leaders and border community associations.
Afeni said the Command’s responsibilities extended beyond customs enforcement to supporting community development and environmental stewardship.
He mentioned that the Command participated in inter-command athletic competitions in August and September, emerging as champions in volleyball.
Acting Controller Afeni hailed the unwavering dedication of his officers and men, as well as the massive support of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and the NCS management team.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The Nigerian Navy has warned that the unregulated deployment of unmanned vessels for maritime surveillance could pose serious security risks to the nation’s maritime domain. It has, therefore, called
for the development of an appropriate legal framework to regulate their use.
Rear Admiral Daniel Atapa of the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Department made the call in Lagos while speaking on behalf of the Chief of the Naval Staff at the Lagos International Maritime Week (LIMWEEEK) 2026 hosted by Zoe Maritime Resources Ltd.
Rear Admiral Atapa said there was the need to harmonise the various maritime architectures under a single command to effectively curb the practice.
Even though each agency is at liberty to operate its own equipment and systems, Atapa noted, the issue of inter-agency rivalry and the harm it has brought to bear on the system often makes it difficult to harmonise the various maritime domain awareness assets for effective coordination and information-sharing.
“There are Maritime Domain Awareness assets with NIMASA, Navy, NPA and the rest. To the extent that there is no regulation or codified framework mandating their use or defining their modus operandi, each agency is at liberty to operate with what it has.
“Also, because of inter-agency rivalry which is silent and which we sometimes do not want to admit exists, it becomes difficult to harmonise these Maritime Domain Awareness assets. So, we continue to operate the way we do until there is a regulation that brings everybody together and says, ‘Come together and operate this way.’
“We still make do with what we have. But once there is a regulation, it will provide the framework for harmonising these assets and ensure better coordination among the agencies.
“On the presence of foreign vessels and navies in the Gulf of Benin, we need to understand that the Gulf is an open sea line of communication. Most of these foreign navies are from countries with significant shipping activities in the region.
“You cannot impose on any country that because our maritime domain is now safe; they should drive away their vessels. To the extent that they were there before the crisis, during the crisis and before the de-escalation, they still have the liberty to operate.
“We cannot tell them to leave the Gulf of Benin because that space is free and freedom of navigation is obtainable for everyone.
“On the unregulated use of unmanned vessels, as I recommended as part of my prescriptions for addressing the issue, there is currently no regulation, and so everybody operates and does what they deem appropriate.
“The implication is that, as long as there is no problem, everybody is fine. But once there is a problem, that will become the test case and demonstrate the need for regulation.”
Maritime Agencies
Nigeria Collaborates with Benin Republic to Launch Modernised Joint Customs Border Post.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
To deepen customs inter-connectivity, joint risk management, coordinated enforcement, secure infrastructure, harmonized procedures and accountable joint governance, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in collaboration with the Benin Republic Customs has launched the transformation of the Seme-Krake Border Post into a modern technology-driven joint border post connecting Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.
Performing the historic transformation at the Seme-Krake Border Command, Friday, Comptroller -General of Customs, Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi said without real time interconnectivity between the customs administration of Nigeria and Benin, the facility being inaugurated cannot achieve the purpose intended.
He noted that while physical infrastructure such as lanes, parking lots, offices, weigh bridge and scanner housing have long been completed, integrating them into the customs systems with the aid of technology need to be in place.
”Without inter-connectivity, this is not a joint border post. It is a border post sharing a car park at best,” Adeniyi stated.
Key features of the modernisation arrangement include
real-time data exchange where declarations lodged on one side will be visible on the other, enabling seamless transit tracking and shared enforcement alerts.
Another is trader support. This is a dedicated facility for women traders which will simplify procedures for small consignments, provide multilingual information and reduce harassment and extortion.
Enhanced security enables the restoration of scanning capability, strengthened access control, surveillance and lighting.
Joint governance deals with harmonised bilingual SOPs. This covers cargo, passengers, inspection and incident escalation alongside a standing Nigeria–Benin enforcement and intelligence mechanism.
Speaking at the event, Benin Customs Director-General, Col. Raouf Malehossou Aboudou described the initiative as commendable as it is critical and well -intentioned in efforts to recalibrate joint operations to facilitate trans-border trade in the current era.
The Seme Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Abdullahi Shuaibu Kaila, also pledged the Command’s commitment to supporting seamless trade across the corridor.
The launch event featured a facility inspection, demonstration of the border modernization solution and a symbolic football match between the Seme Area Command team and Badagry United Football Club. The Command carried the day with a 2–0 victory against their opponents.
Ogun 1 Customs Repeats Stern Warning To Smugglers, Confiscates Latest Brand of Range Rover, Other Contrabands.
Unregulated Deployment of Unmanned Vessels Threatens Maritime Security — Navy.
Nigeria Collaborates with Benin Republic to Launch Modernised Joint Customs Border Post.
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