Maritimegistplus

The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has urged President Bola Tinubu to extend the mass due retirement of seasoned Customs Officers, expected to retire in  December 2026, by one year.  This is contained in a statement signed on behalf of the president of the association, High Chief Tochukwu Ezisi by the  Secretary General of NAGAFF, Mr Godfrey Emeka Nwosu, in Lagos on Wednesday.  The appeal is contained in an open letter to the President titled: "The Matter of Mass Due Retirement of Seasoned Management Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)". The association appealed to the President to extend the tenure of all NCS officers retiring by December 2026 by one year.  It noted that the one year should be used to train and prepare the upcoming young officers taking over from them to face the challenges of international trade in Nigeria.  "Mr President, we write this letter to you from our strategic position in the mar...

L-R: Mr. Uchenna Achunine, Director Business Dev & Partnership at the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF); Pius Olaoye, CFO, Polaris Bank; Abimbola Ozomah, Executive Director, Corporate & Investment Banking, Polaris Bank; Dr. Joseph Onoja, DG NCF; Bukola Oluyadi, Group Head Customer Experience & Value Management, Polaris Bank and Rasheed Bolarinwa, Head, Brand Management & Corporate Communications, Polaris Bank at the Tree Planting Exercise As part of its ongoing efforts to promote climate action, environmental conservation and sustainable community development,  Polaris Bank Nigeria, in collaboration with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), has reinforced its commitment to environmental sustainability with a tree-planting exercise at the Lekki Conservation Centre, Lagos. The exercise, held recently is focused on the Bank’s nationwide tree-planting initiative launched in 2024. Since its inception, the initiative has recorded the planting of 10,000 trees ...

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in collaboration with the Customs administrations of the Republic of Benin and the Republic of Cameroon, has intensified discussions with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) on a regional border-modernisation programme aimed at strengthening trade facilitation, improving cross-border efficiency and advancing the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).  The high-level working engagement, held at Afreximbank’s headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, on 12 October 2026, followed a joint benchmarking mission to Beitbridge Border Post in Zimbabwe and subsequent technical assessments of the Mfum–Ekok and Sèmè–Kraké border corridors. The engagement, led by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, brought together representatives of the three Customs administrations, Afreximbank and technical partners to review findings from the assessment missions, identify priority interventions and explore practical pathwa...

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Calabar/Akwa Ibom Free Trade Zone Area Command, has intensified efforts to combat smuggling, strengthen border and maritime security, and facilitate legitimate trade through collaboration with security agencies and private-sector operators. The new Acting Customs Area Controller, of the command, Deputy Comptroller, Dr Nkiru Nwala, who on farmiliarisation tour on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, led delegation of the command to the 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Eastern Naval Command, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Shoreline Logistics Nigeria Limited, to strengthen institutional relationships and improve operational coordination. The engagements, according to a reports focused on intelligence sharing, coordinated enforcement operations, protection of critical national assets, road safety, maritime security and compliance with Customs regulations. Speaking during the visits, Nwala emphasised the need...

The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has handed over seized pharmaceutical products and illicit drugs with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦511,400,000 to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further investigation and appropriate legal action.  The handover, which took place at the Unit’s headquarters in Ikeja on Friday 16th October, 2026, is in line with the respective statutory mandates of the receiving agencies. According to a statement issued by the unit’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Hussaini Abdullahi said. The seized items comprised 121 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 65.9kg; 100g of crystal methamphetamine; 400g of cocaine; 900g of ground synthetic cannabis; 4.3kg of hybrid cannabis; 86 packs of polythene bags used to conceal the illicit drugs; and 57 cartons of codeine syrup. The vehicles—a Toyota Hiace...

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening indigenous shipping capacity, assuring Nigerian shipowners of sustained support and promising his commitment to the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) to qualified applicants. Oyetola gave the assurance on Friday at the Third Quarter 2026 Citizens’ and Stakeholders’ Engagement of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, held in Victoria Island, Lagos. The minister said the administration remained committed to the effective implementation of the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act to ensure that Nigerians participate fully in the ownership and operation of vessels engaged in domestic maritime trade. “To our indigenous shipowners, I wish to reaffirm this Administration’s commitment to the development of indigenous shipping capacity and the effective implementation of the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act,” he sa...

L-R: Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, unveiling the newly gazetted Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Act, 2026 and the new agency’s logo at the third quarter stakeholders engagement of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, in Victoria Island, Lagos, on Friday. The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, has unveiled the newly gazetted Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Act, 2026, alongside the agency’s official logo, describing the development as a significant milestone in efforts to strengthen port regulation, boost investor confidence and enhance Nigeria’s maritime competitiveness. According to the press statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Honourable Minister, Dr. Bolaji Akinola, the Minister made the disclosure on Friday at the Third Quarter 2026 Citizens’ and Stakeholders’ Engagement of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, held in Victoria Island, Lagos. The engagement, t...

The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA), Dr. Akutah Pius, MON, has been honoured with a Special Achiever Award by the SERVICOM  unit of the agency  Dr. Akutah, who received the award from the Head of the Unit, Mrs. Esther Nanle said the award bestowed on him represents the collective efforts of the Management and Staff of the former Nigerian Shippers' Council, now transitioned into NPERA as the economic regulator for the port sector. He stated that, "This award is a recognition of the collective efforts we have all made. It is not the achievement of one individual but the collective accomplishment of all of us". The DG/CEO dedicated the award to every member of staff, as well as supporters and stakeholders who believed in the need for a dedicated economic regulator for the port sector. He also dedicated it to Nigerians, particularly those whose livelihoods and businesses are impacted by activities in the ma...

MD/CEO Fidelity Bank Plc, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe (middle), receiving a special recognition award for her leadership and Fidelity Bank’s contribution to Nigeria’s beauty enterprise ecosystem during a dinner commemorating the Beauty in the Motherland 2026 exhibition in Lagos recently. She is flanked by the event’s co-founders, Beatrice Obinna Eneh (left) and Linda Edozien (right). Fidelity Bank Plc has  reaffirmed its support for the Nigerian beauty industry and women owned businesses at the commemorative dinner and awards ceremony of Beauty in the Motherland 2026. The ceremony, held on October 6, 2026 at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, celebrated creativity, enterprise and impact across the beauty and lifestyle industry. It formed part of the three-day Beauty in the Motherland 2026 programme, which attracted more than 3,000 attendees and over 300 exhibitors from the skincare, haircare, fragrance, cosmetics, wellness and related segments. Hoste...