Maritime Agencies
THREE YEARS AS NIMASA DG: Jamoh and His Exploits
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
March 10, 2023, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, OFR, was three years in office as Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). To mark this, the agency’s Public Relations Team articulated his landmark achievements. Falcon Watch Online joins to do a special focus on Bashir Jamoh at three, x-raying specific areas his three-year tenure has made a difference plus a couple of other issues stakeholders expect him to focus on as he runs out his full tenure at the apex maritime agency.
As a home grown industry person, Dr Jamoh , on appointment, did not find it hard to quickly articulate areas of focus where special attention is needed to make a difference. These he dubbed the 3S: maritime Safety, maritime Security and Shipping development.
PIRACY & KIDNAPPING IN GoG
Nigerian waters form an integral part of the Gulf of Guinea (GoG). Nigerian waters and the entire GoG now enjoy a drastic reduction in piracy, incidences of kidnapping and other maritime crimes which hitherto made seafaring in the area a nightmare. In 2020, for instance, 130 cases were recorded; in 2021, it was 57. There was none throughout 2022. The commendable zero incidents of 2022 are even being witnessed as Q1 of 2023 rushes to lapse.
At this rate, stakeholders say, Nigeria now stands to do without payment of Extra War Risk Insurance (EWRI) premiums and other charges introduced on account of piracy and other crimes on waters.
THE DEEP BLUE PROJECT
In June 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari launched the deep blue project. The implementation has brought a marked reduction in maritime crimes because the Team NIMASA under Jamoh applied what can be described as a multi-sectoral approach in an attempt to address nagging problems. The agency struck new levels of strategic collaborations with regional countries and other global shipping nations with huge trade interest in the GoG.
Deep Blue Project assets include Marine Assets: Special Mission Vessels 2 (DB Abuja and DB Lagos), 17 Fast Intervention Boats. Air Assets: Special Mission Helicopters 3, Special Mission Aircrafts 2, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
Land Assets and 17 Armored Vehicles.
Other facilities are – Command, Control, Computer, Communication and Intelligence (C4i) Centre, Training Facilities (Shooting Range, C4i Training Centre etc.) Various training were organized for all personnel in the deep blue project on how to operate the assets and facilities.
The Deep Blue Project Assets were classified into 3 (three) with over 254 personnel drawn from military and paramilitary organizations. These are Marine, Land and Air Assets.
MARITIME SECURITY:
SPOMO ACT
Before 2019, the nation didn’t have a separate law to try offenders and criminals arrested in piracy and kidnapping. Therefore, Jamoh pushed for a formal legislation and the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Related Offences (SPOMO) Act was signed into law by Mr. President in June 2019. As of today, under the SPOMO Act, the agency has secured convictions. This has also served as a deterrent to would-be criminals.
Implementation of the SPOMO Act led to better partnership with the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies within and outside to gainfully explore ways and means to attain peace in the GoG region. The success of this approach enabled Nigeria’s delisting from the International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Red List as well as the International Bargaining Forum’s (IBF) Unsafe Waters List.
To further deter these criminalities on the waterways and make the youths gainfully employed, the Agency engaged the Marine Litter Marshals.
REVENUE GENERATION
Since Dr Jamoh mounted the saddle in 2020, NIMASA has paid over N100billion into the federal government coffers. Between January 2020 to June 2022, N99, 944,345,082 was remitted to the federal government, records say.
SEAFARERS DEVELOPMENT
Under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), NIMASA has enrolled 2,041 student cadets since inception in 2009.
The number of officers so far trained is 656. While 625 cadets have obtained their Certificate of Competence (CoC), 31 others qualified as Naval Architects. While 360 cadets have completed seatime and are awaiting CoC, 351 have been assigned to MTIs and awaiting seatime; 120 withdrew with10 deceased.
STAFF WELFARE
Dr Jamoh inherited a staff condition of service which was reviewed last in 2010. Realizing the critical role a well-motivated workforce plays in maintaining a productive organization, he went on to secure an upward review of staff condition of service so as to increase commitment and efficiency on their part.
MARITIME SAFETY
At the end of the last quarter, 2021, the Federal Government approved the removal of wrecks from Badagry channel up to the Tin Can Island. In the first quarter of 2022 also, Government approved the removal of wrecks in Western zone in Lagos, Eastern zone in Port Harcourt and central Zone with headquarters in Warri. All these projects have achieved major milestones.
NIMASA engaged the Nigerian Navy Naval Dockyard in Lagos to repair operational vessels, Millennia 1 and Millennium 2. Today both vessels and five others are almost ready for deployment for enforcement purposes. This will also enhance search-and- rescue operation, port and flag state administration, amongst others.
In order to attend to the emergencies that may occur after a Search and Rescue Operation, the Agency has built two brand new Search and Base clinics of international standard at Azare Crescent, Apapa and Kirikiri.
“We are hopeful to commission them soon. The hospital is not for NIMASA or Nigeria, but original Regional States. NIMASA is in charge of nine countries in terms of Search and Rescue. The hospital is of high international standard where we hope to treat all caliber of patients locally and internationally with the state-of- the-arts equipments when completed, NIMASA says.
“In the area of Flag and Port State Administration, at the inception of the administration, there was no single vessel for enforcement in the past. Today, we have built seven brand new bullet proof boats and we expect them to have completed the building. They are being built in Spain, and we are hoping that before the end of March, we will receive and commission the vessels. As soon as the vessels are commissioned, there will be enhanced enforcement performance; and we plan to divide the use of the vessels not only in Lagos, but also to other zones of the Agency. All these will cater for the issue of safety.”
MARITIME TRAINING
In the area of education, the Agency introduced the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP). The Nigerian NSDP development program is a capacity development programme.
In order to ensure that Nigeria’s major maritime training institution is not relegated to the background, NIMASA has improved her interface with the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron. The Agency’s statutory funding of the MAN Oron has been on point since 2020.
Currently, MAN Oron has Simulators, among other state-of- the- art facilities, and the funding by NIMASA has been unhindered. This is in addition to other private maritime institutions such as Charkins. They are now also coming up with a lot of accreditation of diplomas and other short-term certificate courses that are being done locally, thus, saving foreign exchange.
In addition to this initiative, the Agency created skills acquisition centres across the six geopolitical zones. For the South-West, one is in Lagos. In the South-East, there is one in Anambra; for South-South, there is one in Bayelsa. There is one in Maiduguri, Borno State, for North-East. For North-West, Kaduna has one while one is in Kwara for North Central.
So, these skill acquisition centers have the capacity of training younger Nigerians on different aspects of professionalism in the maritime sector. This idea is to help keep the youths busy thereby stemming the volume of criminality in the territorial waters. Records show that from the third quarter of 2021 till date, one single attack has not been recorded on the territorial waters.
SHIPPING DEVELOPMENT
The critical aspect of shipping development encompasses fleet expansion, shipbuilding and ship repairs. Shipping is responsible for over 90 percent of international transportation of goods that sustain the global supply chain, which is a significant component of the global economy, enhancing import and exports of goods and services.
NIMASA is poised to advance shipping by ensuring a conducive environment for commercial shipping and encouraging more indigenous participation in the global shipping trade.
LAST LINE
No doubt, Dr Jamoh’s scorecard at three years is impressive. But certain areas still yearn for attention as he inches towards the end of his first tenure as NIMASA Director General.
As some industry watchers say, it has become necessary to raise the standard of Nigerian Certificate of Competency (CoC) by inviting United Kingdom and American maritime authorities for a facility and faculty assessment visit to the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, especially now that basic STWC training equipments are in place. Their observations and recommendations have to be noted and painstakingly followed.
Steps should be taken to possibly meet whatever standards the visitors may prescribe and recruit internationally recognized facility members and trainers for MAN.
Nigeria should sign a MoU with the UK and US authorities to recognize and accept Nigerian CoCs after meeting all the prescribed standards.
Nigeria should put on ground a two-year internal re-evaluation arrangement to ensure that attained standards are not compromised but improved upon in line with the expectations of modern navigation and global maritime trends.
There are expectations that Nigeria should look inwards and train more people at home at lesser costs but with higher chances of working onboard any seagoing vessel anywhere in the world with NIMASA CoC.
Nigeria should consider migrating beyond the present near-coastal voyage (NCV) of certification to certifying masters and chief engineers while constantly re existing MoUs.
NIMASA should work towards improving Nigeria’s ship registry to attract more registrations perhaps beginning with the fleet under the Nigerian LNG Limited (NLNG) whose vessels fly foreign flags.
Till date, illegal poaching of fishes and other aquatic products by foreigners flourish on Nigerian waters with little or no control. Over 40% of global Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing occur in Africa out of which the GoG accounts for a sizable portion. Jamoh and NIMASA should be able to capture IUU fishing as a maritime crime under its tripod and explore avenues to curb the menace.
For now, many NSDP training beneficiaries remain without jobs. More opportunities should be created for them and others awaiting seatime when indigenous ship-owners have access to fund ship acquisition.
Maritime Agencies
FOU Zone ‘A’ Customs Recovers over N729m Revenue, Intercepts Smuggled Goods Worth N3.24bn.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, Controller, Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service says the Command’s latest revenue recovery is encouraging, reaffirming a determination to identify and recover revenue lost through under-declaration, false declarations and other forms of customs fraud. Importers, exporters and licensed customs agents, he insists, should ensure accurate declarations and full compliance with extant customs laws and regulations as the Unit will always facilitate legitimate trade while taking decisive action against individuals and businesses engaged in smuggling and revenue evasion.
This is contained in a release by Chief Superintendent of Customs Hussaini Abdullahi on behalf of the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu.
FOU Zone ‘A’, the release explained, will always intercept foreign parboiled rice, vegetable oil, poultry products, foreign-used vehicles, used clothing, and other prohibited goods as part of measures to protect domestic industries, support national food security and safeguard legitimate government revenue.
” Similarly, the interception of illicit drugs, unregulated pharmaceutical products, and other controlled substances contributes to protecting public health and preventing the circulation of substances capable of undermining the wellbeing of citizens, particularly young Nigerians. The recovery of elephant tusks also reinforces the Service’s role in supporting national efforts to combat illegal wildlife trafficking and protect endangered species.”
The Comptroller who emphasised that the Unit’s enforcement activities are being undertaken within a balanced framework that combines robust border enforcement with trade facilitation attributed the successes recorded during the period to enhanced intelligence gathering, risk profiling, inter-agency collaboration, intelligence fusion, and the cooperation of stakeholders and members of the public. He assured compliant traders of the Service’s continued commitment to creating a fair, predictable, and transparent trading environment, while warning that the Unit would sustain its zero-tolerance approach to smuggling, revenue fraud and other forms of economic sabotage.
The seizures include 4,956 bags of foreign parboiled rice weighing 50kg each, equivalent to eight trailer loads; 12 foreign-used vehicles; 2,683 parcels of synthetic cannabis (Sativa) weighing 1,439.9kg; 49 parcels of Ghanaian Loud weighing 26.1kg; one parcel of crystal methamphetamine weighing 0.35kg; 13 parcels of granular cannabis weighing 1.35kg; 240,000 tablets of Tramadol; 12,000 tablets of Hypnox; 22 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 130.84kg; 964 25-litre jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), equivalent to 24,100 litres; 26 cartons of foreign vegetable oil containing four 5-litre units each; 686 cartons of foreign poultry products; 414 bales of used clothing; and 2,947 pieces of used tyres, among other prohibited and smuggled items intercepted through intelligence-led operations.
Also impounded were 220 consignments of prohibited and smuggled goods valued at N3,237,132,640.00 in Duty Paid Value, while the recovered revenue stood at N728,976,725.03. The operation anchored on sharpened risk profiling, rigorous compliance checks and targeted strikes against suspicious declarations, underscores the Unit’s unrelenting commitment to protecting local industries, securing government revenue, and keeping Nigeria’s trade corridors free of contraband, the Command stated.
The CAC vowed the Command’s commitment to support the Federal Government’s economic objectives by protecting domestic production, promoting compliance, facilitating legitimate trade, and preventing the entry and circulation of prohibited and harmful goods.
The Unit appreciates the continued support of sister agencies, stakeholders, border communities and members of the public whose intelligence and cooperation contribute significantly to her enforcement efforts. Comptroller Aliyu called for sustained partnership from the business community and the general public, noting that collective compliance and vigilance remain essential to consolidating the gains recorded in revenue recovery, border protection, public safety, and national economic development.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Come September 10, 2026, top government officials, industry leaders and maritime stakeholders will converge to discuss and chart a new course for the competitiveness of Nigerian ports.
The event being put together by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria
(MARAN) to mark her MARAN Annual Maritime Lecture (MAMAL) holds at the Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island, Lagos, under the theme: “Nigerian Ports Modernisation, Charges and the Competitiveness Question.”
The event is expected to provide a high-level platform for discussions on the reforms needed to make Nigerian ports more efficient, cost-effective and globally competitive.
Deliberations, the organizers say, will focus on key issues affecting the nation’s maritime industry. These include port infrastructure modernisation, operational efficiency, port charges, trade facilitation and policy reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s position as a leading maritime hub in West and Central Africa.
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, will attend as the Special Guest of Honour, highlighting the Federal Government’s commitment to deepen reforms in the maritime and blue economy sectors.
The keynote address will be delivered by Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU). She is expected to outline the Federal Government’s policy direction and the role of coordinated reforms in improving port efficiency, attracting investment and driving economic growth.
MARAN President, Mr. Oluyinka Onigbinde, disclosed that the lecture will be chaired by TANTITA Security Services Limited. He said the event will bring together government officials, maritime agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, port users, investors, academics, development partners and media practitioners for robust discussions on the future of Nigeria’s port industry.
Onigbinde noted that MAMAL has earned a reputation as one of the maritime sector’s foremost policy dialogue platforms, providing stakeholders with the opportunity to exchange ideas, build partnerships and recommend practical solutions to challenges confronting the industry.
He added that this year’s lecture is expected to generate actionable recommendations on reducing the cost of doing business at Nigerian ports, improving operational efficiency, enhancing investor confidence and accelerating Nigeria’s quest to become a preferred maritime and logistics hub in the sub-region.
MARAN has therefore called on stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to participate actively in the event, describing MAMAL 2026 as a strategic forum for shaping policies and partnerships that will drive sustainable growth, competitiveness and innovation in Nigeria’s maritime industry.
Maritime Agencies
NAGAFF Tasks Bonded Terminals To Suspend All Illegal Fees Collections, Refund N178m.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The 100% Compliance Team of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has called for immediate suspension and refund of illegal tolls and charges allegedly being collected from freight forwarders at some bonded terminals in Lagos.
The demand is contained in a notice by Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko, National Coordinator of the Compliance Team, addressed to managers of bonded terminals operating under the Nigeria Customs Service, Zone A, Lagos.
In the notice, NAGAFF gave the affected terminals seven days to provide documentary evidence of the legal authority backing the disputed charges or face possible regulatory and legal action.
The association alleged that some bonded terminals, alongside individuals purportedly acting on behalf of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), have been imposing additional charges on imported containers and cargo handling separate from statutory fees payable to relevant government agencies.
According to NAGAFF, the alleged charges are as high as $3,000 for a 20-foot container and $6,000 for a 40-foot container. The Association says more than ₦178 million has so far been collected from its members under the disputed charges.
NAGAFF explained that it had repeatedly requested evidence of lawful authorisation for the collections, including gazettes, approved tariffs and other regulatory instruments, but these have not been provided.
The association also questioned the transparency of the collections, citing what it described as the absence of official receipts issued by relevant regulatory authorities, published tariffs or legal notices establishing the charges.
Continuous collection of the disputed fees, the Association argues, amounts to an unlawful restriction on trade facilitation even as it imposes additional financial burdens on freight forwarders operating through the affected terminals.
NAGAFF therefore demands an immediate halt to the collection of the disputed charges and the refund of all sums it considers to have been unlawfully collected from its members.
It further requests that where a refund cannot be made immediately, the affected terminals submit a written proposal for reconciliation and refund within a seven-day period.
The association warns that failure to meet its demands could trigger further regulatory and legal measures including petitions to relevant government agencies, moves to shut down affected bonded terminals and legal proceedings to protect the interests of its members.
NAGAFF also called on the Managing Director of the NPA to make available relevant instruments prohibiting the collection of association dues within ports and terminal areas.
Specifically, the association requested access to a purported NPA port order and a Lagos High Court order relating to the payment of such dues, saying the documents would help clarify the regulatory position on the disputed collections.
NAGAFF insists that all charges imposed on freight forwarders and cargo owners within the port and terminal environment should have clear legal and regulatory backing for the sake of transparency.
Such transparency and accountability, the Association says, were necessary to promote efficient trade facilitation and protect freight forwarders and cargo owners from what it described as unjustified financial burdens within the maritime sector.
The notice was copied to the Nigeria Shippers’ Council, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), port managers, as well as the Founder and National President of NAGAFF.
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News2 weeks agoDisaster Imminent in Apapa as Widening Cracks Overtake Liverpool-Marine Road Junction. ………. Stakeholders Send SOS to Government.
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Maritime Agencies3 weeks agoTochukwu Ezisi, NAGAFF President, Bags RATTAWU’s Logistics Excellence Award.
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoCSR: Customs CG Hosts Apapa Students in Sports, Pledges Sponsorship for Outstanding Young Athletes.
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoECTS: PTML Customs Mounts an Awareness Campaign
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoAfCFTA: Nigeria, Cameroon, Benin To Establish Joint Customs Strategic Steering Committee on Beitbridge Communique.
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoTRANSQuest MAGAZINE @ 21: With Huge Maritime Endowments, Stakeholders Warn, Nigeria Can’t be Poor, Government Must Realign Her Priorities.
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Maritime Agencies1 week agoTopfield College Clinches Overall Position as Customs’ WASA Sports Event ends in Lagos.
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