Maritime Agencies
Lilypond Export Command Is Meeting Expectations, Handles 70% of Nigeria’s Total Tonnage of Export Cargo, says CAC Odusanya.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
If the South West, especially Lagos, accounts for 70% of Customs duty earnings on exports, it then follows that efforts by Lillypond Export Command in this regard is significant and responsible for such a huge tonnage value of total exports going out of Nigeria.
Customs Area Controller of the Lillypond Export Command, Comptroller Ajibola Odusanya disclosed this during a Roundtable with members of the Maritime Reporters’ Association Of Nigeria, MARAN at the International Press Centre, Apapa.
Insisting that there was no other Export Command in the whole of the South West region, even in the whole Nigeria, he informed that the special Command created in 2022 solely handle export goods is living up to expectations.
“At that period of its creation, although the command was handling only export, the command was not the sole export command at that time. The other commands around the port were still handling part of the export goods around here. We have export seats in Apapa, Tincan, PTML and even Lekki.
“But due to the directive from the government through PEBEC and pressures from other government agencies like the Nigerian Export Promotion Council and the Nigerian Ports Authority, there came a Memorandum of Understanding between the NPA and the customs to streamline all export processes to a command hence the Lillypond Export Command became the sole export command around the South West around July 2024. It was in July 2024 that the command became the only command processing sea bound export around Apapa area.”
He went on to inform that following the successful designation and take off of the Lillypond Export Command as the sole export processing command in Nigeria, other government agencies like the Department of State Services, DSS, Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Nigerian Agriculture Quarantine Service among others deployed their officers dedicated to export to the Lillypond Export command.
“Before this arrangement, goods treated by maybe the NDLEA officers at Lillypond, on getting to Apapa or Tincan, you still have another NDLEA officers stopping them. That was the practice before, but with the collapse and also with the synergy that we have with other government agencies, goods treated by any government agency’s official at Lillypond now, no other officer of that particular agency will stop that container on its way to the port.
“Even customs, before the collapse, when export goods treated by Lillypond were moving to the port, Apapa and Tincan Ports export seat officers and their Enforcement Officers will still be stopping those containers either at the gate or inside the port. But now, we don’t have anything like that.
“Export goods treated by Lillypond, given the gate in, given their Eto to enter the port, will only be checked by Lillypond officers at the port gate to confirm that they have been duly treated in the office. And that checking does not mean that they will open the container, unless it is extremely necessary, maybe, based on intelligence. This is because jobs treated in the office are sent to our officers at the port gate online.
“Those coming by water because we have some exports coming by barges into the port too, it is the same process. Just as we have our officers at the gate, we also have our officers at the jetty. So, the place is so sanitized and automated that export goods now move seamlessly into the port either through road or through water”, he explained.
On movement of cargo by rail, the CAC said, “We have goods being moved by rail from outside Lagos to this place. Some come as far as from the North. We have this understanding with the customs commands outside here that goods coming by rail especially those already examined by our colleagues outside Lagos, they have a way of sending a message to us online and from there we do the shipping note and send everything into the port and may be message to the terminal operators, we don’t stop them because they have been examined by those people and they have sent the report to us.
“So, that is the synergy we have with our colleagues especially from the North. We have this understanding with Kano/Kaduna command.”
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Captain Warredi Enisuoh, Executive Director, Operations and Technical at the Tantita Security Services Ltd, will deliver the keynote speech at the 10th Annual Maritime Students and Youth Conference (AMSAY) billed for June 10, 2026. Venue is the Conference Hall of the Mission To Seafarers, 29 Marine Road, Apapa GRA, Lagos.
As stated in a release, Enisuoh will speak on the lead paper entitled, “The Youth and the Future of Nigerian Maritime Sector: Understanding How Nations Develop Their Maritime Industry.”
Organised by Platforms Communications annually, the arrowhead, Sylvanus Obasi, says the AMSAY Conference has over the past decade evolved into a critical platform for youth advocacy, mentorship and stakeholders’-students engagement to discuss and proffer solutions to contemporary issues affecting the future of Nigeria’s maritime sector, having consistently driven conversations around industry reforms, capacity growth, innovation and sustainable development.
With over two decades of global experience spanning maritime operations, aviation, and national security, Captain Enisuoh is widely regarded as a leading authority in maritime safety, shipping development, and infrastructure protection in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
He holds a Master Mariner Class 1 Unlimited Foreign Going License, an Aircraft Pilot’s License, and a Diploma in Aviation. His academic journey includes training at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron; Arab Maritime Transport Academy, Egypt; Australian Maritime College, University of Tasmania; Tasmanian Aviation College; and the Swiss Air Training Centre in Zurich.
Over the years, he has held strategic roles across continents, including eight years with Pacific International Lines in Singapore and six years with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). He also served as a lecturer, instructor, course developer, and examiner at the Australian Maritime College.
In Nigeria, he contributed significantly to sectoral development during his tenure at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), where he served as Director of Maritime Safety and Director of Shipping Development.
Capt Warredi”s Keynote Speech will also feature a high-level panel discussion moderated by Captain Dr. Fola Ojutalayo, Marine Surveyor and Senior Lecturer at the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology.
Panelists are drawn from diverse segments of the maritime industry, including regulators, shipowners, local content experts, technical professionals, legal practitioners, operators, and the academia as representatives from NIMASA, Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), NLNG Shipping and Marine Services Limited, and the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, are expected to discuss the lead paper .
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The Ports Authority Police (Western) Command has called for deeper collaboration with maritime journalists as part of efforts to strengthen security within Nigeria’s port environment and support the growth of the nation’s maritime economy.
Commissioner of Police, Ports Authority Police (Western) Command, CP Oluwatoyin Iyabode Agbaminoja, made the call on Tuesday while receiving the newly elected executives of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) during a courtesy visit to the Command Headquarters in Apapa, Lagos.
The visit, led by MARAN President, Mr. Oluyinka Onigbinde, provided an opportunity for both parties to reaffirm their commitment to promoting safety, security, and operational efficiency across Nigeria’s maritime domain.
Speaking during the engagement, Onigbinde commended the Command for its efforts in safeguarding the nation’s ports and other critical maritime assets, noting that security remains a key pillar for sustainable trade and economic development.
He pledged MARAN’s continued support through responsible journalism, accurate reporting, and constructive engagement with stakeholders in the maritime sector.
According to him, the media has a crucial role to play in creating public awareness, promoting transparency, and highlighting issues that impact the efficiency and competitiveness of Nigerian ports.
In her remarks, CP Agbaminoja congratulated the newly elected MARAN leadership and acknowledged the association’s longstanding contribution to the dissemination of credible information on developments within the maritime industry.
She emphasized that stronger cooperation between law enforcement agencies and the media would enhance public trust, improve security consciousness, and contribute to national economic growth.
The Commissioner noted that effective communication and timely information sharing are essential in addressing security challenges within the port ecosystem, stressing that the media remains a strategic partner in achieving those objectives.
She further assured the association of the Command’s readiness to maintain open channels of communication and foster productive partnerships aimed at advancing port security, maritime safety, and trade facilitation.
Nigeria’s ports serve as critical gateways for international trade and revenue generation, making security within the maritime sector a matter of national economic importance. Stakeholders have consistently advocated greater collaboration among security agencies, regulators, operators, and the media to strengthen surveillance, curb criminal activities, and improve operational efficiency.
The meeting concluded with both the Ports Authority Police Command and MARAN reaffirming their commitment to sustained engagement and cooperation in support of a safer and more efficient maritime industry.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Nigeria’s pioneer maritime journalists’ body, the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) will inaugurate her brand new Executive Council on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at the Rockview Hotel, Apapa, Lagos.
The high-profile event which is planned to bring together key stakeholders from the maritime, shipping, logistics, security, and media sectors will also feature discussions on strengthening ethical standards in maritime journalism.
The theme of the inauguration is “Upholding Ethical Journalism for Maritime Development.”
The Chairman of the occasion is Emmanuel Maiguwa Gankino, President, Maritime Security Providers Association of Nigeria (MASPAN), while the keynote address will be delivered by Mr. Bolaji Abimbola, a leading public relations and event management expert.
Special Guests of Honour expected at the event include the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola; the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho; the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Barr. Pius Akutah Ukeyima; and the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR. Also expected are chief executives of maritime agencies, captains of industry, leaders of maritime associations, terminal operators, shipping companies, freight forwarders, and other critical stakeholders across the maritime value chain.
Speaking ahead of the inauguration, MARAN President, Comrade. Oluyinka Onigbinde, described the event as a defining moment in the association’s journey towards deepening professionalism, credibility, and responsible maritime reportage.
The new executive council, he stated, will focus on repositioning MARAN as a stronger voice within the maritime sector through capacity building, constructive engagement, and adherence to ethical journalism standards.
He noted that the theme of the event underscores the indispensable role of the media in promoting transparency, accountability, and sustainable development within Nigeria’s maritime industry.
“The maritime industry is central to Nigeria’s economic growth, and ethical journalism remains a vital instrument for ensuring that developments within the sector are accurately reported and constructively engaged,” he added.
Onigbinde further called on government agencies, industry operators, and media practitioners to continue supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening maritime journalism and advancing the nation’s blue economy aspirations.
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Maritime Agencies3 weeks agoTantita Donates 15 Gun Boats to Nigerian Army, Navy.
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Maritime Agencies3 weeks agoREPORTER’S DIARY: How Lagos State Task Force Made Me ‘Igbobi Landlord’ For Filming Operatives Extorting Suspected ‘Okada’ Operators In Apapa*
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