Maritime Agencies
MAN, Oron, Earns Accolades on Performance Bond for Ministerial Deliverables.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
For commiting to effective implementation of the Performance Management System (PMS) reform of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, H.E. Adegboyega Oyetola has given a special commendation to the Acting Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Dr. Kevin Okonna. Domo Umoekpe, the nautical school’s image maker, stated this in a release.
Speaking during a two-day Management Retreat and Ministerial Handholding Session for Performance Management System (PMS) and the Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) held at the Academy, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS) in the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Hajia Ibrahim Kalthum noted that the Retreat was aimed at driving a successful implementation of the PMS and ECMS in the school. She stood in for the Minister, H.E. Adegboyega Oyetola.
The Ministry, she explained, embarked on these two key reforms to strengthen performance, promote accountability and digital transformation across all its agencies in line with the strategic vision of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Nigerians.
”The Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has, in alignment with the vision of His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, embarked on a comprehensive reform agenda aimed at strengthening performance, accountability and digital transformation across all its agencies.”
“The Maritime Academy of Nigeria, as Nigeria’s foremost maritime education and training institution, must lead by example in embracing these reforms, and the Ministry is glad that the Academy is taking these key reforms seriously,” she added.
Stating that the PMS and ECMS have come to stay in the Ministry, Hajia Kalthum said that while the PMS strategically aligns every staff and department to deliver on the Ministry’s mandate and Academy’s core objectives, the ECMS on the other hand streamlines and digitalizes records, processes, and workflows, thereby promoting efficiency, transparency and timely decision-making.
She also emphasised that the PMS was not merely about staff appraisals but fundamentally about strategic execution of tasks and that goals are cascaded seamlessly from the national level to institutional, departmental and finally to individual levels.
Staff performance, she added, is assessed objectively using well-defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) while capacity gaps are identified and addressed through targeted training and development.
For the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, the reforms will translate into improved training outcomes, global competitiveness, and enhanced service delivery to cadets, seafarers, and stakeholders in the maritime industry.
“The Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) represents a collective march towards digital transformation; records will no longer be buried in physical files but digitally stored and easily retrieved. Processes will be streamlined, cutting down inefficiencies and delays. Inter-departmental collaboration will be seamless. Data integrity and institutional memory will be preserved for future generations. This is particularly important for the Academy as it seeks international recognition, accreditation, and compliance with global maritime standards,” she said.
Hajia Kalthum urged the Acting Rector to constitute Performance Management System (PMS) Champions who will help the Management drive the effective implementation of this new system. These champions should be visible with dedicated t-shirts and caps, and a special day set aside for PMS awareness, just as has been done in the Ministry, where every Thursday, champions wear the PMS uniform and go round creating awareness.
She assured that the Ministry would continue to provide the Academy with oversight, technical support and periodic reviews to ensure the success of the reforms and urged participants to embrace the change and see themselves as enablers, not burdens.
In his intervention, the Acting Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Dr. Kevin Okonna lauded the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy for his exceptional leadership strides which is evident in the Ministry’s outstanding scores in the rating of the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit, CRDCU, of Ministerial Performance in the Presidential Priorities of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Dr Okonna said that in 2024, the Academy’s contributions to the Ministry’s Deliverables included training of 4,775 seafarers and dockworkers, provision of laptops and desktops to more staff to improve productivity. Others are increased staff capacity building drive to promote expertise and improve standards and the implementation of the PMS of the Federal Government to promote accountability.
While pledging the Academy’s continuous dedication to contributing its quota to the Ministerial Deliverables, the Acting Rector referenced the significant role the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy played in helping the Academy secure positive responses from shipping companies and associations for onboard training opportunities for cadets.
On maintenance of standards of safety courses on offer in the Academy, the Acting Rector said that the Academy is effectively collaborating with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA), adding that the Academy would soon be signing an MOU with the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control for West and Central Africa Region, in respect to a course developed by the Academy for the Abuja MOU to enhance deliverables in the sub-region.
Management, he announced, has taken necessary steps to get the Nautical Science Cadets registered with the Institute of Nautical Studies, the Engineering Cadets registered with the Institute of Marine Engineers, Science and Technologists, (IMarEST), and the Maritime Transport Cadets registered with the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, (CILT) , Nigeria.
The aim is to ensure that all Cadets derive tremendous benefits of membership of these professional bodies. He also promised to deploy required resources towards the full deployment of the ECMS in the Academy.
”I am proud to celebrate the Honourable Minister, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, for his ingenuity at administering the affairs of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, as the Ministry continues to record the highest score in the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit’s (CRDCU) rating of Ministerial Performance in the Presidential Priorities of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.”
“I also appreciate the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olufemi Oloruntola, and the hard work of the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS), Hajia Kalthum Ibrahim and the other PMS/ECMS Implementation Team Members for their contributions in ensuring that the Ministry maintains its leadership role in delivering on its mandate towards the achievement of the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda for Nigerians.
The theme of the event was “
The high point of the event with the theme “Building capacity for the implementation of the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy in Nigeria,”
was the signing of the 2025 Departmental Performance Bond by the Directors and Heads of Departments with the Acting Rector of the Academy in the presence of the Minister’s representative.
Maritime Agencies
OIL FACILITIES PROTECTION: Tompolo’s Tantita Acquires High-Tech Drones From US Firm.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Tantita Security Services Ltd (TSSL), the company in charge of security surveillance over oil and gas installations in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region, is in collaboration with Textron Systems Corporation, a United States–based defence and aerospace company, to supply her three advanced Aerosonde Mk. 4.7 Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS).
TSSNL owned by Chief Government Ekpemupolo (popularly known as Tompolo) disclosed the business deal in her website publication of December 29, 2025. The drones will be delivered in a fully ITAR-Free configuration.
The Aerosonde Mk. 4.7 is designed to operate without runways, utilising hybrid quadrotor technology that enables vertical takeoff and landing, as well as fixed-wing flight.
The Aerosonde Mk. 4.7 VTOL UAS, Textron Systems says, is a mature, industry-proven autonomous platform known for its high reliability and operational flexibility. Its dual-mode capability allows it to operate seamlessly in complex and high-risk environments, making it well-suited for security operations within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Giving further insight into the contract, Senior Vice President, Air, Land and Sea Systems at Textron Systems, David Phillips, said the deployment would significantly enhance Tantita’s operational capability.
”The Aerosonde Mk. 4.7 VTOL UAS is a proven solution that will enable Tantita Security Services to expand its capabilities to protect the oil and gas infrastructure essential to Nigerian security and prosperity,” he stated.
The Aerosonde platform has accumulated over 700,000 flight hours across some of the world’s most challenging operating environments, underscoring its reliability and performance.
Tantita Security Services is expected to deploy the systems to strengthen surveillance and protection of critical oil and gas assets across Nigeria.
The contract also includes options for operator training and the supply of additional aircraft to support future capability expansion. Textron Systems noted that the agreement builds on a previous Foreign Military Sale (FMS) contract to Nigeria, further highlighting its ongoing commitment to supporting Nigerian security operations.
Textron Systems is a global leader in uncrewed air, land and sea systems, with the Aerosonde family of UAS currently supporting international customers and operations aboard more than 10 U.S. Navy ships. The company is a subsidiary of Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT), a diversified multinational with interests spanning aviation, defence, industrial manufacturing and finance.
With multiple payload configurations and comprehensive training and support services, the Aerosonde Mk. 4.7 VTOL UAS offers a versatile and efficient solution for security operations in demanding environments, reinforcing Tantita Security Services’ role in safeguarding Nigeria’s critical energy infrastructure.
Maritime Agencies
NEW YEAR CELEBRATION: MARAN Appreciates Stakeholders, Requests Greater Support and Collaboration in 2026.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to celebrate a brand new year, the pioneer maritime journalists’ group, the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), has implored the entire business community, especially maritime industry stakeholders, to join the association afresh in advancing the cause of the industry to ensure more impact and relevance in the national economy in the new year and beyond.
In a New Year message, MARAN Chairman, Mr. Tunde Ayodele described 2026 as a “year of greater impact,” stressing the need for improved service delivery and more robust maritime reportage to support national development.
According to him, the collective efforts of stakeholders in the outgoing year contributed positively to the growth of the maritime sector, urging all parties to sustain the spirit of unity and collaboration in the new year.
“United, we can make Nigeria proud by contributing our quota to national development, each from our own little corner,” the MARAN chairman said.
Ayodele reaffirmed MARAN’s readiness to collaborate with organisations and institutions across the maritime value chain, noting that such partnerships are crucial to making Nigeria’s maritime space one that is admired and celebrated.
He expressed appreciation for the cooperation and support extended to the association throughout 2025 and called for renewed commitment in the year ahead.
“Thank you for your cooperation and support in 2025. Let us do it again in 2026,” he added.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
In the ongoing efforts to thwart economic sabotage in the Niger Delta, Tantita Security Services Ltd, the firm engaged in pipeline surveillance operations in the oil -rich region, has nabbed four suspected oil thieves, intercepting their vessel named MT Thor. Suspects are to undergo trial for economic sabotage .
Speaking at the handover of the suspects at Koko Port, Tantita’s Executive Director of Operations, Capt Warredi Enisouh, said the suspects were apprehended with an unspecified quantity of suspected illegally-sourced petroleum products aboard the vessel.
The interception occurred on 15 December 2025, around the Koko–Excravos axis of Delta State, says a situation report made available by the Special Prosecution Team (SPT) of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Petroleum Product Theft.
The report stated that Tantita alerted the Head of Investigation of the SPT after intercepting MT Thor, allegedly laden with crude oil obtained through illicit means.
It was further alleged that the vessel was being escorted by personnel of the Police Marine Unit, Delta State, who reportedly claimed they were acting on directives from the Force Intelligence Department (FID), Abuja.
Preliminary investigations by law enforcement agencies revealed that the vessel, now classified as an exhibit in an ongoing criminal investigation, is linked to a jetty operated by Ebenco Global Services Limited. Investigation officers disclosed that documents and correspondence connected to the jetty were obtained and are currently under review.
“The owner of the jetty, Mr. Ebenezer, was contacted by investigators and reportedly provided additional documents, including court orders, which are also being analysed as part of the investigation.
“On December 16, a joint investigation team led by the Head of Investigation of the SPT conducted a Joint Inspection Visit in Koko. The team first met at Tantita’s corporate headquarters in Warri for a briefing, which was also attended by the jetty owner.
“During the inspection, investigators attempted to obtain samples from MT Thor but were unable to do so immediately as the vessel had not yet arrived at the jetty, having been towed from an earlier location by security operatives.
“While awaiting the vessel’s arrival, the team inspected other containers suspected to be carrying crude oil within the premises of Ebenco Global Links Limited, where samples were taken from a storage barge.
“MT Thor eventually berthed at about 8:30 p.m. on 16 December, prompting the joint team to adjourn sampling and other procedures until the following day. As of 17 December 2025, investigators were reported to be en route to Koko to continue sample collection and complete investigation formalities,” the report read.
Receiving the suspects, the Head of the Special Prosecution Team of the Inter-Agency Task Force, Omar Sini, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s resolve to dismantle crude oil theft networks in the Niger Delta, assuring that all findings would be thoroughly examined and prosecuted in line with the law.
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Customs3 weeks agoTincan Customs Achieves N51.8Bn Surplus Above 2025 Revenue Target
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoOIL FACILITIES PROTECTION: Tompolo’s Tantita Acquires High-Tech Drones From US Firm.
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Maritime Agencies3 weeks agoNIGER DELTA SECURITY : Tantita Arrests 4 Oil Thieves, Nabs Vessel .
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoNEW YEAR CELEBRATION: MARAN Appreciates Stakeholders, Requests Greater Support and Collaboration in 2026.