Maritimegistplus

By Tolulope Rojaiye A Nigerian professional in London closes her laptop after another workday. In Toronto, a family reviews its financial plans for the next few years. In Houston, an entrepreneur considers what to do with money set aside for a future commitment in Nigeria. Their circumstances may differ, but they face a similar financial decision. If the money will not be needed immediately, should it remain idle, or can it be positioned to earn a return. This question is becoming more important as the Nigerian diaspora market grows beyond traditional remittances. World Bank data put personal remittances received by Nigeria at approximately 22.8 billion US dollars in 2025, equivalent to about 7.8 percent of Gross Domestic Product. Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria also show that workers remittances reached 5.24 billion US dollars in the third quarter of 2025. These figures highlight the scale and resilience of financial inflows from Nigerians living abroad. They also point to a bro...

A s part of efforts to consolidate existing inter-agency cooperation and strengthen security within the nation's maritime environment, the newly appointed Customs Area Controller of Apapa Customs Area Command, Comptroller Murtala Mu'azu, paid a familiarization and courtesy visit to the Ports Authority Police (Western) Command. The new Customs Area Controller during the visit, assured the Commissioner of Police of his willingness and readiness to work closely with the Command towards strengthening the existing synergy between both agencies. He reiterated his commitment to fostering mutual cooperation, effective intelligence sharing, and operational collaboration in the collective pursuit of a safe, secure, and economically viable maritime environment. Mu'azu  further emphasised the importance of maintaining a harmonious working relationship between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Police Force, noting that sustained inter-agency collaboration remains critical to...

The TinCan Island Port Command of the The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has again prevented the abuse and spread of illicit drugs disguised as cookies by unscrupulous elements to deceive the youths and unsuspecting innocent citizens from unknowingly consuming hard drugs. This was revealed during an official handover of intercepted illicit items to representatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Friday, 9 October 2026 by the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the command, Comptroller Joe Anani. At the brief handover ceremony, Comptroller Joe Anani, warned against importing Delta-8 cannabis-infused cookies and gummies, saying sustained vigilance and effective collaboration with sister security agencies made the success possible. Giving account of the seizure, Anani said "On 2 September 2026, a 40-foot container with number MSDU655132/0 was intercepted at Tin Can Island Port. Following a thorough 100 percent joint physical examination, we found a total of 890 pac...

The Founder of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam says the party will soon announce a frontline  presidential candidate it  will be adopting for the 2027 presidential elections.  The NNPP Founder disclosed this in a statement issued today,  Tuesday, 13 October, 2026 by the National Publicity Secretary of the party  In the statement, Dr Aniebonam explained that due to prolonged litigation over leadership of the party, it did not have enough time to process a presidential candidate that could match frontline candidates in some political parties. "Indeed INEC recognised the NNPP led by Dr Agbo Major as the National Chairman but the time was short from the recognition to getting a candidate; "We had a placement candidate while shopping for an authentic presidential candidate with Character and capacity for 2027 election  Continuing he said, "the NNPP is firm with its manifesto and requirements for a presidential candidate. We ...

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has  rescued another three live pangolins as operatives of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted the endangered species during an anti-smuggling operation along Oyo Dam at Igbo-Ora in Ogun State. In a statement issued yesterday on behalf of the Acting Comptroller, Deputy Comptroller Olukayode Afeni, by the Unit’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs CSC Hussain Abdullahi,  the seizure occurred on Monday, 12 October 2026 at approximately 09:05am. Officers of the Unit acted on credible intelligence, intercepted a sack conveying the endangered animals concealed in a wire mesh caged and discovered the pangolins. According to the statement, the suspected traffickers abandoned the consignment and fled into the surrounding swamp upon sighting the customs patrol team, leaving the animals behind. Speaking on the development, the Acting Comptroller of the Unit, who was represented by the Deputy Comptro...

The Nigeria Customs Service has auctioned 22,175 litres of Premium Motor Spirit poporlarly  known as petrol which were intercepted and seized by Operation Whirlwind along the Lagos–Ogun border axis. The auction sale which took place earlier today, Monday, 6th October 2026 was held at the Customs Training College, Ikeja. Speaking during the exercise, the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, Deputy Comptroller Lucky Abu Aliyu, said the fuel was seized in recent weeks after operatives, acting on intelligence, disrupted a network moving petrol toward neighbouring countries. He stated that officers recovered 887 jerry-cans of 25 litres each, together with five vehicles used to convey the product. The seizures were made at flashpoints including Imeko, Ilara, Ilaro, Idiroko and Seme-Badagry. The Duty Paid Value of the petrol and the means of conveyance was put at ₦32,175,000. Deputy Comptroller Aliyu noted that today’s auction is a clear demonstration of the Nigeria Customs Se...

As part of efforts to modernise ship registration services and enhance the competitiveness of the Nigerian flag,  the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) will host a two-part stakeholder webinar on 6 and 8 October 2026 to showcase the ongoing automation of the Nigerian Ship Registry. The webinars, according to a press release issured by Edward Osagie FNIPR, the Deputy Director and Public Relations of NIMASA will provide shipowners, operators, maritime professionals, financial institutions, insurers and other stakeholders with insights into the new digital registration platform and its potential to significantly improve the speed, transparency and efficiency of ship registration and related services. The automated system is designed to enable 24/7 access to registration services, streamline application and approval processes, and facilitate faster issuance of electronic certificates, reducing administrative delays associated with conventional paper-based pr...

By Aderonke Oluwadare Nigeria’s micro, small and medium sized enterprises remain central to the country’s economic growth, employment and household incomes. According to the NBS and SMEDAN MSME 2021 survey, as cited in PwC Nigeria’s MSME Survey 2024, MSMEs account for 96.9 per cent of businesses, 87.9 per cent of employment, 46.32 per cent of gross domestic product and 6.21 per cent of exports. These figures underline the importance of Nigerian SMEs to job creation, innovation and inclusive economic development. They also explain why the health of the sector should command the attention of policymakers, financial institutions and investors. PwC’s report confirms the figures and identifies MSMEs as an important part of Nigeria’s economic fortunes. The operating environment nevertheless remains difficult. Entrepreneurs continue to contend with elevated input costs, exchange rate volatility, infrastructure constraints and pressure on consumer purchasing power. PwC’s MSME Survey 2024, whic...

With a renewed push to expand export channels, improve cargo processing and boost foreign exchange inflows into the economy, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has stepped up efforts to remove bottlenecks hampering Nigeria’s non-oil exports. The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, disclosed this at the 21st Abuja International Trade Fair organised by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) which is held under the theme, “Resilient Trade, Taxation, and the Economy”. He stated that the authority was strengthening port infrastructure and extending maritime logistics into the hinterland to enable exporters to access global markets more efficiently. Speaking at the NPA Special Day of the fair, Dantsoho said trade resilience required efficient infrastructure, predictable fiscal frameworks and seamless supply chains, according to him, Nigeria’s economic resilience could no longer depend largely on imports and oil revenues, stressing that expa...