Maritime Agencies
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY, 2025: NPA Pledges Equal Rights For Women In the Workplace.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) says it is ever ready to promote the equality of women and the girl-child to their male counterparts in the work place.
On this score, the agency will not relent in efforts to offer growth opportunities to all women and girls alongside their male counterparts and to practically create chances for them within and outside the NPA to be empowered to achieve the best in their abilities.
NPA Managing Director, Dr Dantsoho stated this in Lagos during the in-house celebration of the 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD) with the theme: ”Accelerate Action for Gender Equality”.
The agency, he announced, remains steadfast in participating in the International Women’s Day celebration and also creating systems and structures that promote women’s rights and empowerment in Nigeria.
He disclosed that the Authority has been actively recognising and advocating for women’s rights and equality in the Ports Authority, saying the organisation does not put any limit on the capacity of women and the opportunities available to them.
“For us in the Nigerian Ports Authority, we do not see IWD as another day to pay lip service to women’s rights and economic empowerment. Rather, it is a day to reflect on what we have done and to commit to doing even more.”
Some of laudable achievements of the agency in pursuit of championing women’s empowerment and gender equality, he explained, include extending the maternity leave period of women to six months and ensuring that pregnancy out of wedlock does not stop a woman from getting what is due to her.
Others are giving nursing mothers the privilege of reporting for duty one hour after the official resumption time and closing an hour earlier than the official closing time daily.
In addition, women who, by merit, qualify to handle key responsibilities at the agency like their male counterparts, are never denied such opportunity on account of sex.
In recent years, at least 12 women have qualified and served as General Managers and Port Managers. Currently, NPA has a woman, Mrs Vivian C. Richard-Edet, serving as Executive Director, Finance and Administration.
In addition to leadership roles, Dr Dantsoho explained, Nigerian women are embedded into the different units and arms of the NPA. This is as they work as pilots, in the fire service, as security officials, medical personnel and engineers within the Ports Authority.
“These are just some examples of the ways the NPA has and is actively recognising and advocating for women’s rights and equality. We do not put any limit on the capacity of women and the possibilities available to them,” he stated.
The MD however noted that despite the feats the NPA has recorded as an organisation, it is ‘not yet uhuru’ when women and girls are still being subjected to various forms of discrimination, inequality, injustice and abuse because of their gender.
“As an organisation, we promise to remain unrelenting in supporting the rights and equality for all women and girls and to practically create opportunities for women and girls within and outside the NPA to be empowered to the best of their abilities.”
He congratulated all women in the NPA for the year’s IWD and assured to continue to work with them especially when it comes to putting the Authority in the lead and providing opportunities for girls and women to actualize themselves in the maritime industry.
“Together, we will accelerate action for gender equality,” Dr Dantsoho assured.
IWD is a day set aside for recognising and honouring women’s achievements, highlighting the progress made towards achieving gender equality while calling for more efforts towards equitable societies, and advocating for increased laws, policies and actions that will end gender-based violence and all forms of discrimination against women.
Since 1911, when the first IWD was marked in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, March 8 and indeed the whole of March has become widely known as women’s history month with individuals and organisations across sectors and nations partaking in the commemoration.
Maritime Agencies
Oyetola, Omatseye, Akabogu, Other Dignitaries To Attend Network of Nigerian Maritime Journalists Unity Conference in Lagos.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Come November 13, 2026, the Network of Nigeria Maritime Journalists (NNMJ), an umbrella body of all maritime journalists, will convene her Unity Conference.
Venue is the Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
This is contained in a release jointly signed by Dele Aderibigbe and Jerry Aguigbo, NNMJ’s President and Publicity Secretary respectively.
The Conference is aimed at bringing together maritime industry regulators, policymakers, outstanding industry leaders and other stakeholders to examine the future of Nigeria’s maritime sector.
Key themes include a special focus on the performance, policy direction and operational efficiency of the maritime industry under the new Marine and Blue Economy Ministry with particular emphasis on port modernisation, empowerment and training programmes, trade facilitation and revenue generation.
Barr Temi Omatseye
The Special Guest of Honour is HE Adegboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy while the former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Barrister Temisan Omatseye, will chair the conference.
Renowned maritime lawyer, Barrister Emeka Akabogu, SAN, is billed to deliver the keynote address.
Emeka Akabogu, SAN
The event whose theme is “Seaport Modernisation, Trade Facilitation and Revenue” is expected to provide a platform for constructive engagement among government officials, maritime professionals and private-sector operators on practical strategies for strengthening Nigeria’s maritime industry. It will also role out ways and means to maximise the contributions of the Ministry and the sector to national economic growth.
Key areas of discussion will include the modernisation of seaports and the renewal of critical infrastructure, improved trade facilitation, enhanced ease of doing business, revenue growth and measures to curb financial leakages.
Participants will also examine opportunities for expanding the marine and blue economy, creating employment, strengthening maritime safety and security, and improving the overall competitiveness of Nigeria’s maritime sector.
Dele Aderibigbe, President, NNMJ
The conference is also expected to reinforce the role of the maritime media in promoting accountability, providing informed industry analysis and advancing constructive engagement on policies and reforms affecting the nation’s marine and blue economy.
The event tagged the Unity Conference enables the NNMJ to encourage informed dialogue, strengthen collaboration among public and private-sector stakeholders, and promote policy initiatives that will enhance port efficiency, facilitate legitimate trade, improve revenue performance and unlock the economic potential of Nigeria’s maritime sector.
Maritime Agencies
SCAN SUMMIT, 2026: Conversion to Earn Higher Interest Rates, the Bane of the CVFF, Omatseye says.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
As the back-and-forth surrounding the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) keeps playing out, a light has been shed on the actual worth of the accrued sum, talking about the Dollar value, its Naira equivalent, among other things and the impact this could have in determining the number of beneficiaries and the eventual achievement of the objective.
Ship owner and former Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Temisan Omatseye, offered the clarification in Lagos, Thursday, at the 2026 edition of the Annual Summit of the Shipping Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (SCAN) whose theme was ‘Low-Risk Capital for Indigenous Shipowners: Overcoming Regulatory, Financial Bottlenecks’.
Barrister Omatseye explained that contrary to pervading impressions, the $350 million CVFF was not retained in dollars. It was converted into naira to earn higher interests, leaving its dollar value exposed to the vagaries of exchange rate.
The decision to convert the funds into naira was driven by the significantly higher interest rates available in the domestic market at the time compared with dollar deposits internationally.
At the time when calls for the disbursement of the CVFF was at the peak, he explained, interest rates in Nigeria stood between 23 and 25 per cent while dollar-denominated investments offered returns of about one to two per cent. The strategy was to convert dollar CVFF receipts to naira to maximise interest earnings in the domestic financial market.
“Interest rate at that time was quite high, 23 per cent, 24 per cent, 25 per cent. And interest rate in dollars was about one or two per cent. Dollar interest rate is very, very low internationally,” he said.
Dollar receipts were changed to naira while the overall proceeds were lodged into local currency accounts which guaranteed higher interest rates. But the naira depreciation of 2023, significantly affected the fund’s value when measured in dollars. He cautioned that the original $350 million valuation could not be assumed to remain unchanged because the funds were held in naira rather than dollars.
“So you cannot be looking at $350 million as of 2019 to be the same $350 million today, because the money is held in naira,” he said.
Omatseye urged stakeholders to distinguish between the fund’s historical dollar valuation and its current value, explaining that the latter would depend on the actual naira balance and the prevailing exchange rate.
“When you guys speak of $350 million, CVFF is not held in dollars. It’s in naira, and at the present exchange rates, keep your realistic eye,” he said.
He added that determining the fund’s current dollar equivalent required converting the available naira balance at the applicable exchange rate. The former NIMASA director-general also noted that any claims about an increase in the fund’s value should be established through verifiable financial records.
Speaking through Mrs Anastasia Ogbonna, Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Minister, H.E.Adegboyega Oyetola reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to accelerating the disbursement of the CVFF to qualified indigenous shipowners. Oyetola announced that he had directed NIMASA to commence the disbursement process to eligible beneficiaries as, according to him, President Bola Tinubu was committed to building a competitive maritime sector that would enable Nigerian entrepreneurs participate meaningfully in domestic and international shipping.
Access to long-term financing at commercially- sustainable rates, he added , remains a major challenge for indigenous shipowners because vessel acquisition requires substantial capital, while high borrowing costs, collateral requirements and lengthy repayment periods place operators at a disadvantage.
He said the government had taken concrete steps to operationalise the CVFF, established under the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act of 2003 to support indigenous vessel ownership.
Oyetola disclosed that in January 2026, a dedicated application portal was launched to promote transparency, accessibility and efficiency in the process, while the number of approved Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs) was increased from five to 12. He added that NIMASA had been directed to work closely with the approved lending institutions to accelerate the assessment of applications and disbursement to qualified beneficiaries. However, he stressed that the fund must be administered with transparency, rigorous due diligence and prudent risk management, describing it as a revolving facility whose sustainability depended on responsible borrowing, repayment and accountability.
“Our commitment to the effective implementation of the Cabotage Act remains equally firm. We recognise that protecting the legitimate participation of Nigerians in domestic shipping must go hand in hand with building their financial, technical and operational capacity, ” he said. Oyetola also urged financial institutions to develop financing products suited to the commercial realities of the maritime industry and called on shipowners to embrace sound corporate governance, proper financial reporting and disciplined repayment practices. He said reducing investment risks required more than making funds available, stressing the importance of a predictable regulatory environment, credible business plans, transparent financing arrangements, effective insurance and reliable revenue streams.
Beyond the CVFF, the minister said the government was pursuing broader initiatives to strengthen indigenous participation in shipping, improve maritime safety, develop Nigerian seafarers and expand services supporting vessel ownership and operations.
He also disclosed that the government was exploring a commercially driven national shipping line initiative based on private capital, professional management, strategic partnerships and international expertise. The initiative would complement indigenous operators, expand Nigeria’s shipping capacity and operate on a sustainable commercial basis. Oyetola said the government’s broader objective was to encourage greater Nigerian ownership of vessels capable of serving domestic trade and competing in international shipping, while creating more opportunities for Nigerian seafarers to gain sea-time experience and secure employment. He called for stronger collaboration among government, shipowners, financiers, regulators and industry professionals to remove regulatory and financial bottlenecks, strengthen indigenous shipping and ensure that Nigerians secure a greater share of opportunities in the maritime economy.
Maritime Agencies
Dredgers’ Body Disowns Report Alleging Extortion Against Lagos Commissioner Alebiosu, Cardoso.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The Dredgers Association of Nigeria (DAN) has distanced itself from a report entitled ‘Dredgers Association Appeals to Sanwo-Olu Over Alleged Extortion, Urges Governor to Call Alebiosu, Cardozo to Order’, published on October 23, 2026 by some online blogs.
In a disclaimer jointly signed by Batare Akpomejero and Richard Ntan, National President and Secretary respectively, the Association categorically stated that the publication is fake and could not have originated from its National Leadership or any authorised organ of the dredgers’ body.
DAN clarified that it neither authorised, approved nor issued any petition or press release accusing Hon. Ekundayo Alebiosu, Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Lagos State, and Mr. Cardozo of harassment, intimidation or extortion of dredgers and tipper operators.
The Association further stated that it had no record of the alleged impounding of trucks and demand for ₦500,000 as reported in the publication, adding that it completely dissociated itself from the claims.
Reaffirming its relationship with the Lagos State Government under the leadership of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, DAN described its engagement with the government and the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development as cordial and collaborative.
On matters relating to dredging regulations and the interpretation of Supreme Court judgments concerning shoreline authority, the Association explained that discussions were being pursued through appropriate institutional channels and dialogue with relevant federal and state authorities, rather than through media confrontations.
Consequently, DAN has disclaimed the report in its entirety, urging the public, the Lagos State Government, Hon. Alebiosu and other stakeholders to disregard the publication as a statement issued on behalf of the Association.
DAN also expressed regret over any embarrassment, inconvenience or reputational damage the publication may have caused the Lagos State Government, the Honourable Commissioner and other officials mentioned.
It reaffirmed its commitment to promoting lawful, sustainable and collaborative dredging operations across Nigeria, while maintaining constructive engagement with relevant authorities and stakeholders.
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Maritime Agencies3 weeks agoLekki Port Customs Confiscates 400kg of Suspected Cannabis Sativa Worth over N2.26bn, Hands over To NDLEA.
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoNAGAFF President, Chief Ezisi, Visits PTML Customs, Urges Deepened Customs-Freight Forwarders Partnership.
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks ago2026 World Maritime Day: Nigeria Subscribes to Safer Waterways and Excellence.
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoDredgers’ Body Disowns Report Alleging Extortion Against Lagos Commissioner Alebiosu, Cardoso.
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Maritime Agencies5 days agoSCAN SUMMIT, 2026: Conversion to Earn Higher Interest Rates, the Bane of the CVFF, Omatseye says.
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Maritime Agencies3 days agoOyetola, Omatseye, Akabogu, Other Dignitaries To Attend Network of Nigerian Maritime Journalists Unity Conference in Lagos.