Maritime Agencies
NIMASA’s Aggressive Campaign Against War Risk Premiums: More Talk Than Action?
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
As the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) vows to eliminate the exorbitant and unjustifiable War Risk Insurance (WRI) premiums imposed by foreign insurance firms on Nigeria-bound ships, the actual impact of the aggressive campaign remains questionable.
This persistent drain of WRI on the Nigerian economy estimated at a staggering $500 million annually has been described as an international affront that demands immediate and decisive action.
While NIMASA claims to be aggressively campaigning against this fraud, the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), through its upcoming 3rd Annual Maritime Lecture (MAMAL 2025), is set to expose the bitter truth and champion the cause of Nigerian stakeholders.
Even as NIMASA is liaising with international partners on how best to address the matter, the financial hemorrhaging continues unabated.
Shipowners and importers, who bear the brunt of these unjustifiable premiums, are left wondering why a nation with demonstrably secure waters is still being treated as a war zone by the international shipping community.
Alhaji Aminu Umar, Managing Director of Sea Transport Services Nigeria Limited and President of the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, rightly points out the need for NIMASA to engage the Joint War Committee, the body responsible for waiving or imposing WRI.
However, despite their efforts, the WRI remains firmly in place, raising concerns about the agency’s effectiveness in truly challenging this deeply entrenched international politics, as described by the President of the Nigeria Shipowners Association (NISA), Mr. Sola Adewunmi.
For years, the justification for WRI on Nigerian-bound cargo stemmed from the very real threat of piracy and Niger Delta militancy. However, as confirmed by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) in 2021, Nigeria has been officially removed from the list of piracy-prone countries.
The International Bargaining Forum (IBF) further validated this progress in 2023, delisting Nigeria from high-risk maritime nations.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyola Oyetola, has also repeatedly affirmed that there hasn’t been a single pirate incident in Nigerian waters for over three years, attributing this peace to the multi-billion naira Deep Blue Project spearheaded by NIMASA.
Yet, foreign insurance companies like Lloyd’s of London and various P&I clubs continue to levy these war risk surcharges.
This isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a monumental financial drain. In the past three years alone, Nigeria has coughed up an eye-watering $1.5 billion in WRI premiums. To put this into perspective, a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) can incur a WRI surcharge of approximately $445,000 per voyage, while a new container vessel might face a hefty $525,000. Shipping giants like Maersk even tack on additional “transit disruption surcharges” of up to $450 per container.
This translates directly to higher costs for Nigerian importers and exporters, ultimately passed on to the ordinary citizen, who pays inflated prices for goods.
Against this backdrop of frustration and economic detriment, the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) is taking decisive action.
MARAN’s 3rd Annual Maritime Lecture (MAMAL 2025), slated for August 28, 2025, at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos, is set to be a groundbreaking event that directly confronts WRI as an international fraud.
With the theme “Addressing the Burden of War Risk Insurance on Nigerian Maritime Trade,” MAMAL 2025 aims to be more than just a discussion forum. It’s a rallying cry to the Federal Government and all affected stakeholders to acknowledge the severe economic implications of these unjust charges.
MARAN President, Mr. Godfrey Bivbere, has unequivocally condemned WRI as an international fraud burdening the economy of Nigeria and other developing countries in the Gulf of Guinea.
MAMAL 2025 promises to dissect every facet of this issue, from the perceived threats to the profound implications of persistent Extra War Risk Insurance (EWRI). It will scrutinize the roles of classification societies like Lloyd’s of London and critically examine the contributions of core stakeholders, including NIMASA, the Nigerian Navy, and other maritime and security operators.
Crucially, MAMAL 2025 will draw over 500 key stakeholders, including maritime security experts, shipowners, terminal operators, international shipping lines, diplomats, insurers, regulators, and legal experts.
This broad engagement, driven by MARAN’s respected voice in the industry, offers a genuine opportunity for a united front against this exploitative practice.
While NIMASA talks to the UN, MARAN is bringing together the very people and organizations directly impacted, creating a platform for collective action and a more forceful demand for change.
The continued imposition of War Risk Insurance on Nigerian-bound vessels is an affront to the nation’s efforts in securing its maritime domain and a significant impediment to its economic growth. It’s time for a definitive resolution, and MAMAL 2025, driven by the persistent advocacy of MARAN, appears to be the most promising avenue for achieving it.
Maritime Agencies
NAGAFF Pledges Watertight Enforcement, Unveils A More Formidable 100% Compliance Team.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The 100% Compliance Team of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) which appeared inactive for over six months is now reformed and better focused to perform her duties strictly in line with her mandate.
The Team Coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko, disclosed this in Lagos, Friday, during the official unveiling of a new office complex at Eleganza Plaza, Apapa.
“Today, we commission the new secretariat of the 100% Compliance Team and we are ready to take this Team to a higher pedestal”.
He said that for over six months, the interventionist outfit went into some kind of hibernation to take a comprehensive review of internal issues especially concerning her operations and the overall conduct of her operatives with a view to performing better.
”From today”, he pledged, “you will start seeing the effects of a new Compliance
Team”.
On stakeholder concerns that some operatives of the Team do not live above board in their conduct even as it is said that he who goes for equity must come with clean hands, Tanko said among every twelve, there must be a Judas.
On the question of discipline, every society is made up of the good, the bad and the ugly, he posited
”We are doing everything possible to sanitise the system and to continue to maintain discipline”.
Tanko who promised that the Team is now ready to build into the training programme of the NAGAFF Academy said as part of the rebirth now unveiled, Customs Area Commands are now to support regular refresher courses for freight forwarders especially in the aspect of classification. He assured that going forward, the Team’s programmes and activities are to benefit from full digitalization.
He announced that the Team is set to acquire a new office in Port Harcourt which it plans to open come February. “We are working hand- in-hand with the Economic and financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Anti-Corruption Practices Commission (ICPC) to make Nigeria stronger. We shall also expand this new place to accommodate the TDI that will also hopefully open in February.”
Dr Boniface Aniebomam, NAGAFF Founder
Earlier in his post-inauguration remarks, NAGAFF Founder, Dr Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam extolled the willingness of NAGAFF leaders to add value, describing it as the driving force behind the association. Those running the Compliance Team, he cautioned, must understand the limit of their position. “The saying ‘See something, say something’ is very observatory.”
” Do note that the Port is a Customs Port. If Customs has not released your cargo, do not make trouble until it is done; if it is released on the ground of expediency, also remember that other sister agencies are also there to intervene. The NAGAFF approach is centred on dialogue, communication, diplomacy and discussion.
Chief Tochukwu Ezisi, NAGAFF National President
NAGAFF President, Chief Tochukwu Ezisi recalled that when the NAGAFF 100% Compliance Team was inaugurated four years ago, the industry was at crossroads. There were compliance gaps, procedural inconsistencies even as operational shortcuts worked against efficiency and operational trust.
”Many wondered whether a single team could truly shift the culture of an entire industry.”
He said with the birth of the Compliance Team, the level of regulatory compliance among freight forwarders nationwide went up while infractions, delays, penalties and operational setbacks took the back seat.
He explained that strengthened collaboration with key government agencies, especially the
Nigeria Customs Service, promoted ethical conduct and professionalism and has contributed significantly to improved revenue assurance for the Federal
Government.
The Compliance Team has equally enhanced the reputation of NAGAFF as a responsible, forward-thinking, and compliance-driven organization.
Chief Ezisi set ambitious targets for the repositioned NAGAFF 100% Compliance Team to include full Digital Compliance Integration as the goal is to become the most digitally-compliant freight forwarding body in Nigeria.
The group is also out to reduce compliance infractions by 60% within two years through training, monitoring and proactive engagement even as institutional collaboration is enhanced.
”We must deepen our partnership with Customs, NPA, SON, NAFDAC, and other regulators to promote transparency, fairness, and predictability in port operations.
NAGAFF will also establish a National Compliance Intelligence Network to help detect detect risks early, identify patterns of malpractice, and protect members from avoidable pitfalls.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
For the umpteenth time, the Ports Terminal Multi-services Limited (PTML) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has made it clear that it remains a no-go area for unlawful trade under any guise.
As a Command, the PTML Customs has an unshaken commitment to implement the Revised Kyoto Convention, which is a World Customs Organisation (WCO) instrument for trade facilitation while using available manpower and technology to exercise the required control for import and export trade.
The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Joe Anani stated this at the Command Headquarters in Apapa, Friday, while handing-over seized arms and ammunition to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
The seizures consist of five (5) pistols of different makes, one (1) Crossman pump master rifle, 132 Remington live cartridges, 51 9 mm Lugar live ammunition and four (4) 9mm magazines.
Others were forty (40) 9mm, NIM FC 30-30 blank and hollow ammunition and one hundred and eighteen (118) of 9mm empty shells.
”These arms and ammunition were uncovered in 25 different occasions by our officers during the examination of imported vehicles between 2022 to 2025.”
”These seizures are a fallout of the collective due diligence of the Command and other sister agencies in the port.”
The handing-over, he explained, follows the approval of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR psc(+).
Present at the event was the South- West Coordinator, National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) and his entourage. Others were the Management of Port and Terminal Multi-services Limited, sectional heads and heads of other sister agencies.
He explained that under the NCS Modernisation Project which was pioneered by the PTML Command, the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), also known as B’Odogwu, has raised the bar for productivity.
”I am pleased to announce that this Command will receive scanners soon as part of the modernisation project and our capacity to detect concealments, like these arms and ammunition would be greatly enhanced.”
Appreciating the Command’s compliant stakeholders for their cooperation at all times, he described them as l part of the Command’s success story.
The CAC announced that two days to the end of January, 2026, the PTML Command collected a total revenue of ₦44,058,849,416.65. This figure surpasses N40,497,594,223.89 realized in January, 2025 by N3,561,255,192.76, marking an 8.8% increase in revenue.
On behalf of the CGC, Comptroller Joe Anani formally handed over the seizures to the National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) for appropriate action.
Maritime Agencies
WAR AGAINST KILLER DRUGS: Apapa Customs, NDLEA Collaborate To Nab Huge Quantity of ‘Canadian Loud’.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
In her unwavering efforts to ensure that killer – drugs do not find entry into Nigeria, the Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has, in liaison with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), intercepted a 347.5 kilograms of ‘Canadian Loud’ concealed in an imported Toyota Sienna car. The highly – valued substance is a potent strain of cannabis, ordinarily known as marijuana.
As stated in a press release by CSC Isah Suleiman, the Apapa Customs Command Public Relations Officer, the contraband hidden in 13 bags within one of four vehicles contained in a single consignment was discovered following a painstaking weighing exercise. A breakdown shows ten bags at 25kg each, one at 29kg, and two at 34.5kg and 34kg respectively, totaling 347.5kg.
This interception marks the fourth major joint drug bust by the Nigeria Customs, Apapa Command and the NDLEA in less than two months.
In his remarks, the Apapa Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba re-enacted his warning to criminal elements and their networks to keep off the Command as the Command is always ahead of them to exploit whatever antics they deploy to undermine national security via the ports.
“Any attempt by criminal elements to traffic prohibited items through Apapa Port will be detected and thwarted. We remain vigilant and resolute in the discharge of our duty to protect our society and national security.”
He emphasized that under his watch, no cargo, whether import or export will pass through Apapa Port without thorough examination.
The operation also reflects the exemplary cooperation between Customs and NDLEA, championed by the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, PhD. Intelligence sharing and joint tactical efforts have consistently outmaneuvered smuggling networks in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
Oshoba credited this strengthened partnership for the success, noting that the upcoming deployment of a high-capacity drive-through scanner capable of processing 200 containers per hour will further revolutionize anti-smuggling operations.
Both agencies continue to operate under strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that foster zero tolerance, professionalism, and seamless cooperation. In line with established protocols, the seized cannabis has been formally handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution of suspects linked to the consignment.
This latest success builds on the recognition accorded to Comptroller Oshoba and NDLEA Apapa Special Area Commander Mohammed Tukur, who were both awarded the WCO Certificate of Merit on January 26, 2026, in Abuja during the International Customs Day celebrations.
Oshoba further explained that the interception aligns with the 2026 ICD theme: “Customs Protecting Society Through Vigilance and Commitment.”
While Customs remains committed to facilitating legitimate trade, the CAC reaffirmed, it will intensify efforts to disrupt illicit activities and safeguard society.
NAGAFF Pledges Watertight Enforcement, Unveils A More Formidable 100% Compliance Team.
PTML Customs Hands Over Seized Arms and Ammunition, Collects N44.06bn in January.
NAGAFF Compliance Team Set to Relaunch for Stronger Engagement, Enforcement.
WAR AGAINST KILLER DRUGS: Apapa Customs, NDLEA Collaborate To Nab Huge Quantity of ‘Canadian Loud’.
Seme Customs Raids Hideouts, Impounds 200 Bags of Smuggled Rice, Collects N2bn 3 Weeks into 2026.
Lekki Deepsea Port: The Success Story of the Nigerian Ports Authority.
OGUN AREA 1 CUSTOMS: Suspected Armed Drug Traffickers Mount Barricades, Attack Officers. Two Personnel Critically Injured.
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FG Inaugurates Nigerian Shippers’ Council Board, Highlights Need for Reduced Port Costs, Fair Pricing.
OIL FACILITIES PROTECTION: Tompolo’s Tantita Acquires High-Tech Drones From US Firm.
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NIGER DELTA SECURITY : Tantita Arrests 4 Oil Thieves, Nabs Vessel .
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Customs2 weeks agoFG Inaugurates Nigerian Shippers’ Council Board, Highlights Need for Reduced Port Costs, Fair Pricing.
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoSuspend Charges Review, Engage Stakeholders, Shippers’ Council Tasks Shipping Companies
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Customs1 week agoKLT Customs Surpasses 2025 Revenue Target By a Wide Margin, Clamps Down on Expired Imports.
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Maritime Agencies6 days agoWAR AGAINST KILLER DRUGS: Apapa Customs, NDLEA Collaborate To Nab Huge Quantity of ‘Canadian Loud’.
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Maritime Agencies1 week agoOGUN AREA 1 CUSTOMS: Suspected Armed Drug Traffickers Mount Barricades, Attack Officers. Two Personnel Critically Injured.
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