Maritime Agencies
TRADE FACILITATION: Seme Customs Hosts Joint Border Stakeholders’ Engagement To Deepen Cordial Relationships.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Monday, hosted a well-attended Joint Border Management stakeholders’ engagement to discuss major impediments to free flow of trade. In attendance were the Chargè d’affaires of the Nigeria Embassy to Benin republic, heads of sister security agencies such as the Air Force, Navy and the Nigerian Army. Others were heads of paramilitary agencies such as the Police, Immigration, Nigerian Quarantine Service, Federal Road Safety Corps including traditional rulers and various community heads. Freight forwarders and others attended and participated in the robust engagement. The Benin Republic Customs, traditional rulers and representatives of business communities along the trade corridor also recorded an impressive attendance.
The parley which was largely interactive was in pursuant of a standing mandate by the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, that all identified impediments to free flow of trade are eradicated in line with the extant laws and ECOWAS protocols of free movement of goods and persons.
In his opening remarks, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Wale Adenuga described the Seme-Krake border as strategic to trade in the West African sub region as it plays a critical role in intra- African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The border post, he explained, holds great economic potentials to the benefit of citizens and traders from the two nations that share historic, cultural and trade relationships dating back to the pre-independence era.
Top on the list of identified impediments to trading along the corridor was the persistent presence of uncountable checkpoints mounted by state actors and non-state actors alike .
CAC Adenuga (centre) in a group photograph with traditional rulers, heads of security agencies and others.
In his presentation, Deputy Controller of Immigration Joseph Orji, who stood in for Peter Aduche, Head, Lagos State Border Patrol Team, attempted an explanation of their presence on the road, explaining that in the line of duty, Immigration deals with human beings. However, he admitted, it will be best for everyone to work with the fear of God. And when this happens, seamless trade facilitation takes place.
Chief Tunde Diro, a representative of the Akran of Badagry vocally condemned the multiplicity of checkpoints within short distances along the Badagry-Seme road and said it is disgraceful. A case in point Gbaji after the long bridge.
He deplored a situation where overlap of same functions exists with agencies and even non-state actors working at cross purposes to embarrass tourists and others on legitimate business.
Speaking, Hon Joseph Agoro, a community chief, equally deplored the level of harassment that commuters suffer in the hands of different agencies along the route insisting it was high time the menace was addressed. He lamented the level of indiscipline some officers exhibit and demanded urgent action. “Show us some respect and we shall return to you”, he declared.
Most speakers condemned the use of rude and insolent camp boys by different agencies to harass and extort money along the corridor. To overcome this, they advocated continuous training and inter-agency meeting. For instance, they lamented frequent unreasonable demands by some officers of the Nigerian Quarantine Service, an act that is crippling commodity trading businesses.
Contributing on behalf of the ECOWAS Business Forum, Mrs Omotola Amani focused on sexual harassment of the opposite sex who strive to grow their businesses along the corridor.
Other speakers called on various agencies to expand employment of the youths as a way to control restiveness. They also asked Customs to revive the abandoned Customs Secondary School project in Badagry as part of her corporate social responsibility.
Captain H.I. Maidugu of the Nigerian Air Force recalled that some unscrupulous persons use the corridor for human trafficking. Often times, many girls about to be trafficked have been intercepted at checkpoints. He announced that notwithstanding, any of his officers caught in dismeanour would always face stiff sanctions.
In the end, Comptroller Wale Adenuga itemised some of the resolutions which he promised to escalate to appropriate authorities for consideration. These included a reduction in the number of checkpoints along the route to make the corridor more business-friendly.
On employment, he made it clear that selection for Customs job is purely merit -based. External influence plays no role. He promised that Customs would revitalise the abandoned school project.
CAC Adenuga called on entrepreneurs top establish industries to tap into the abundant coconut in the area for the making of finished products as this would create job opportunities for the indigenous people especially the youths.
The engagement encouraged Nigerians and other nationals to get their National Identification Cards to avoid cases of embarrassment while transiting along the corridor.
The usual monthly inter-agency meeting, the CAC assured, is to be strengthened to deepen and expand the existing synergy.
He advised various communities to try to cooperate with all government agencies while their legitimate complaints would be addressed.
Comptroller Adenuga stressed that any officer or non-state actor caught impeding free movement of persons and goods that have met all formal conditions shall be arrested and prosecuted.
He urged all travelers and traders to bring their complainants to him directly or call the PRO for immediate and prompt action.
Truck examination, he said, shall be conducted at the designated examination bays to streamline the process of importation into Nigeria from the neighbouring country.
Head of Benin Customs at the Krake border, Lt. Col Arnaud Midgrokan, who doubles as Co-Chair of the JBP, appreciated Comptroller Adenuga for the meeting and expressed optimism that the engagement would open avenues to solutions for all identified challenges.
He promised cooperation and regular collaboration with his Nigerian counterpart to promote lawful commercial activities and continually ensure zero compromise to the joint agreements of both countries.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
As part of the reform and modernisation agenda being championed by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, to build a transparent, technology-driven and globally competitive 21st-century Customs Service, the Port & PTML Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced a sensitization programme for officers and key stakeholders ahead of the introduction of the Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS).
The Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Nura Miko, announced this in Lagos , Tuesday, during a stakeholders’ workshop held at the Command.
He announced that PTML Command
was selected as the second pilot command for the nationwide implementation of the ECTS following the successful deployment of the initiative at the Apapa Area Command. He explained that the selection recognises PTML’s critical role in trade facilitation and national revenue generation.
Miko noted that the movement of cargo under transire to bonded terminals, other Customs commands, and Free Trade Zones has traditionally depended on physical escorts by Customs officers. However, increasing trade volumes have made the practice inefficient, resulting in operational delays and pressure on personnel.
He explained that the Electronic Cargo Tracking System will provide real-time GPS monitoring of cargo from its point of departure to its final destination, issue instant alerts in cases of route deviation or seal tampering, optimise manpower deployment, and strengthen revenue assurance through improved cargo monitoring.
The system is also expected to benefit stakeholders by speeding up cargo clearance, reducing demurrage costs, lowering the cost of doing business, and enhancing transparency through continuous Customs monitoring of consignments.
“This workshop is designed to familiarise stakeholders with the procedures, responsibilities, and expectations under the Electronic Cargo Tracking System,” Miko said. “I encourage everyone to support this initiative to ensure a smooth and successful implementation.”
The workshop brought together Customs officers, licensed customs agents, freight forwarders, terminal operators, and other private sector stakeholders.
Participants commended the Comptroller-General of Customs and the NCS management for advancing the digital transformation of Customs operations across the country.
Maritime Agencies
AfCFTA: Nigeria, Cameroon, Benin To Establish Joint Customs Strategic Steering Committee on Beitbridge Communique.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Nigeria has described lessons from the Beitbridge and Chirundu Border Posts in Zimbabwe as a huge reinforcement and an illustration of the importance of coordinated institutional frameworks, digital integration and collaborative leadership in transforming Africa’s trade corridors.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, stated this, Monday, during the adoption of the Joint Communique in Zimbabwe following a fact-finding mission.
He described the benchmarking mission to the Beitbridge Border Post between Zimbabwe and South Africa as a strategic opportunity for African customs administrations to move beyond discussions on border reform and embrace practical implementation of modern border management systems.
The mission which brought together Nigeria ‘s Adewale Adeniyi alongside Mr Fongod Nuvaga, Director General of Cameroon Customs, Mr Raouf Aboudou, Director-General of Benin Customs, Mrs Lonto Ndlovu Acting Commissioner Customs and Excise in the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), as well as Alhaji Saleh Ahmadu, Chairman Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited was organised with the support of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) as part of ongoing efforts to deepen intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“Beitbridge has demonstrated that border modernisation is not merely about infrastructure development. The most important lesson for us is that sustainable reform depends on coordinated institutions, clear accountability, digital interoperability and professional human capital. We are leaving here with a renewed commitment to translate these lessons into practical solutions that will strengthen trade facilitation, security and economic growth across our region,” Adeniyi said.
The five-day mission featured technical sessions, facility tour and executive briefing by various border agencies in Zimbabwe. The benchmarking technical team comprising the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Cameroon Customs Administration, Benin Customs Administration, Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited and Bsmart Technologies.
The customs Chiefs were briefed on the Beitbridge Modernisation and Concession Model which included its financing structure, operational framework, revenue management systems and coordinated border governance architecture.
Participants also undertook extensive tours of the freight terminal, cargo processing facilities, scanning operations, traffic segmentation systems and integrated ICT infrastructure designed to support seamless border operations. The engagements provided participants with firsthand insights into how technology, institutional coordination and performance management have transformed one of Africa’s busiest border crossings into a model for efficient trade facilitation.
According to the Joint Communiqué signed by the participating customs administrations, the mission was conceived within the broader continental effort to facilitate trade across West Africa and between West and Central Africa. The document identified the Sèmè-Kraké corridor linking Nigeria and Benin Republic, as well as the Mfum-Ekok corridor connecting Nigeria and Cameroon, as strategic routes that stand to benefit significantly from the implementation of coordinated border management and One-Stop Border Post arrangements.
Also speaking during the ceremony, Director-General of the Cameroon Customs Administration, Fongod Nuvaga, emphasised the importance of collective action in improving trade corridors across the continent. He observed that customs administrations must work together to remove procedural bottlenecks that hinder legitimate trade while maintaining effective border controls. According to him, stronger regional cooperation will enable African countries to fully harness the opportunities created by the AfCFTA and accelerate economic integration across the continent.
Similarly, Director-General of the Benin Customs Administration, Colonel Raouf Malèhossou Aboudou, noted that the lessons from Beitbridge offer practical pathways for improving border efficiency within West Africa. He stressed that harmonised procedures, coordinated risk management systems and stronger institutional partnerships will be critical to achieving seamless trade movement across regional corridors. He added that sustained collaboration among neighbouring customs administrations remains essential for delivering measurable improvements in trade facilitation and revenue assurance.
Earlier, Director for Trade Facilitation and Investment Promotion at Afreximbank, Dr Gainmore Zanamwe, highlighted the significance of the benchmarking exercise as part of the Bank’s broader strategy to support trade-enabling infrastructure across Africa. He explained that the objective was not simply to showcase physical infrastructure but to expose participating administrations to the governance structures, operational models and institutional reforms that underpin the success of modern border posts. “Infrastructure is important, but what truly drives performance is an operating model built on accountability, coordination, technology and measurable service standards. Those are the lessons we hope will be replicated across strategic corridors on the continent,” he said.
The mission concluded with the signing of a Joint Communiqué committing Nigeria, Cameroon and Benin to establish a Trilateral Strategic Steering Committee to drive implementation of the recommendations arising from the visit. The three customs administrations also pledged to pursue harmonised procedures, digital interoperability, coordinated risk management systems and sustained investment in personnel development.
Maritime Agencies
TRANSQuest MAGAZINE @ 21: With Huge Maritime Endowments, Stakeholders Warn, Nigeria Can’t be Poor, Government Must Realign Her Priorities.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Can a nation richly endowed with over 850 kilometers of coastal waters bordering the Atlantic Ocean and an indeterminate expanse of inland waterways and estuaries said to be economically poor? Of course the answer, industry watchers say, cannot be in the affirmative. But in the case of Nigeria, it is because her largely-endowed but poorly-exploited maritime potentials illustrates the paradox of someone surrounded by water using spittle to clean his face.
As events marking the 21st anniversary celebration of TransQuest Magazine unfolded in Lagos, Saturday, the inescapable reality was all over the venue as presentations and discussions tended towards this reality: Nigeria has no business being poor!
Stakeholders spanning across industry regulators, technocrats, customs, logistics gurus and the ever-bubbling press gathered to discuss and analyse Nigeria’s ‘predicament’ in the present circumstance.
In his lecture entitled “Re-Appraising Nigeria’s Blue Economy: Charting a Pathway to Sustainable Growth,” industry technocrat, Lucky Eyis Amiwero was his vintage self. Perhaps, he told the authorities the hard truth others dread to tell them regarding the massive neglect and misuse of opportunities mother nature has offered Nigeria through huge resources lying waste in her territory.
For a country battling unemployment, food insecurity, infrastructure deficits and the urgent need to diversify its economy, the implications are enormous, he said. Whereas Nigeria possesses an extensive coastline, inland waterways, fisheries and offshore resources, he argued, much of the economic value embedded in these assets remains largely untapped.
By way of introduction, “Blue economy”, Amiwero explained, is a term in economics relating to exploitation, preservation and regeneration of the marine environment.
”This can include a wide range of economic sector from the conventional Fisheries, Aquaculture, Maritime Transport, coastal, Marine and Maritime Tourism, coastal Renewable Energy, marine Ecosystem service, blue Caborn, Seabed mining and Bioprospecting and Biotechnology.”
Recognising the immense potentials ocean and freshwater resources have for sustainable development, he continued, it has become necessary to protect and conserve oceans and fresh water systems such as rivers, lakes and extensive ocean resources to ensure they remain healthy and productive as one of the most important tenets of the Blue Economy.
”The Nigerian Blue Economy can constitute a major source of wealth and catapult the country’s fortune”.
Blue Economy components, he added, include established
traditional ocean industries such as fisheries, tourism and marine transport. Other emerging areas include offshore
renewable energy, aquaculture, seabed extractive activities, marine biotechnology and bioprospecting.
Additional growth of the Blue Economy is possible, especially in the area of Fisheries, Aquaculture, Coastal tourism, Marine biotechnology and ocean energy. According to him, some of these sector require little encouragement and additional governance while others need more and better planning
to achieve the full potentials and return of more sustainable outcomes.
But to what extent are authorities in Nigeria prepared to muster needed governance discipline, infrastructural investment and political will to take advantage of the opportunities offered to realize sustainable economic development? That is the crux of the problem Nigeria must address to be a maritime nation worthy of the name.
Speaking earlier, Felix Kumuyi, TransQuest Magazine Publisher, reflected on a 21-year journey built around credible journalism, facilitation and economic growth informed public discourse, progressive policy advocacy and the recognition of excellence across the transport and maritime value chain.
The annual lecture, he said, has now become an opportunity to examine what he referred to as critical questions concerning transportation, maritime development, trade facilitation and economic growth.
He reasoned that aside conventional port and shipping activities, Nigeria must give serious attention to the development of fisheries, aquaculture, marine tourism, inland waterways, coastal resources, marine biotechnology and renewable marine energy as these represent a vast economic frontier capable of generating employment, attracting investment and supporting national development.
Beyond the establishment of a Marine and Blue Economy Ministry, Nigeria needs a workable framework encompassing modern infrastructure, efficient ports, effective maritime security, environmental protection, investment-friendly regulation, digital transformation and a skilled indigenous workforce.
ECTS: PTML Customs Mounts an Awareness Campaign
AfCFTA: Nigeria, Cameroon, Benin To Establish Joint Customs Strategic Steering Committee on Beitbridge Communique.
TRANSQuest MAGAZINE @ 21: With Huge Maritime Endowments, Stakeholders Warn, Nigeria Can’t be Poor, Government Must Realign Her Priorities.
CSR: Customs CG Hosts Apapa Students in Sports, Pledges Sponsorship for Outstanding Young Athletes.
Disaster Imminent in Apapa as Widening Cracks Overtake Liverpool-Marine Road Junction. ………. Stakeholders Send SOS to Government.
Tochukwu Ezisi, NAGAFF President, Bags RATTAWU’s Logistics Excellence Award.
Oyetola Vows to Strengthen Local Capacity, Innovation, Responsible Investments As STARZS Celebrates 40th Anniversary.
NCDMB Hails STARZS @ 40, Reiterates Objectives of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act of 2010.
OPERATION WHIRLWIND: Customs Auctions 20,500 Litres Of Confiscated PMS, NMDPRA Warns Against Products Diversion.
Jumoke Oduwole, Industry, Trade and Investments Minister, Commends STARZS at 40, Tasks African Trade Ministers on AfCFTA.
Apapa Port Customs Seizes Cannabis Sativa Worth over N26.5bn
STARZS INVESTMENTS COMPANY LTD: 40 Years of Private Indigenous Initiative, Shaping Nigeria’s Maritime Future.
Starzs Group Emphasizes Sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility, Urges Government to Strengthen Education Infrastructure.
STARZS CEO Commissions School Projects, Champions Environmental Protection and Tree -Planting to Mark 40th Anniversary.
Starzs’ 40th Anniversary : Group’s CSR Will Rewrite Our Story, Benefitting Communities Say.
Starzs’ 40th Anniversary: Company Doles out Scholarships to 40 Youths from Host Communities, Maritime Institutions.
ABUJA MoU: WE FUNCTION BEHIND A MASK, says Capt Umoren
1. EXECUTIVE PLATFORM. AMES 2024: TIME TO CHANGE GOVERNMENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS SHIPPING DEVELOPMENT IS NOW, AMES President Charges FG.
2023 ELECTIONS：CILT Hosts Seminar on Logistics & Electoral Process
B’ODOGWU TRADE PORTAL: Customs Consolidates, Pilots Form ‘M’ Processing.
APFFLON Seeks Immediate Reform of CRFFN, Replacement of Registrar.
OMIS AWARDS, 2022: Greg Ogbeifun, Industry Gurus For Special Recognition.
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HALF YEAR, 2024: Apapa Customs Nets ₦1.024 Trillion, Records 143% Increase.
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PHOTO NEWS: Maritime Capacity Development
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