Maritimegistplus

The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service within the last four weeks has continued to intensify it's enforcement operations by disrupting 195 smuggling attempts involving prohibited and restricted goods valued at ₦6,194,695,947.05. The Acting Comptroller of the Unit, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni disclosed this while briefing newsman in his maiden press briefing on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026, held in Ikeja, Lagos. According to him, the seizures form part of a renewed strategy prioritising intelligence-driven enforcement, improved surveillance, risk-based examination, and closer collaboration with other agencies. In his words, “These seizures go beyond mere statistics, but represent revenue recovered for the Federation, local industries protected, and lives saved from dangerous and substandard goods;  “We will not measure our success by how much we seize, but by how much harm we prevent". Giving a breakdown of the seizures, Afeni said the...

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alongside 45 others, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over the alleged defection of lawmakers elected on its platform in 2023 to the All Progressives Congress  (APC) and other political parties  The suit, filed through the party's counsel, Lex Firma LP, seeks judicial interpretation and enforcement of constitutional provisions governing the defection of elected legislators from the political parties on whose platforms they secured their mandates. According to an affidavit filed in support of the originating summons, the NNPP is challenging the alleged defection of 45 lawmakers comprising members of the Kano State House of Assembly, the House of Representatives and Senators who were reportedly elected on its platform during the 2023 general elections. The party alleged that the affected lawmakers abandoned the NNPP and joined the other political parties while still occup...

Fidelity Bank Plc has successfully redeemed its 5-Year US$400 million Senior Unsecured Notes at maturity, reaffirming its commitment to meeting its obligations to investors and reinforcing its track record in the international debt capital markets. Issued on 28 October 2021, the 5-year Eurobond matured on 28 October 2026 and carried an annual coupon of 7.625 per cent, payable semi-annually. Fidelity Bank met all scheduled coupon payments throughout the life of the instrument and has now fulfilled its final repayment obligation in full, covering both principal and accrued interest. The redemption was funded from internally generated liquidity as part of the Bank's forward-looking liquidity management strategy. Through a dedicated sinking fund, Fidelity Bank progressively provided for the maturing obligation, enabling the Bank to meet its commitment while maintaining business-as-usual operations and compliance with applicable regulatory liquidity requirements. Commenting on ...

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) says it will not give in to blackmail to backdating the resignation of members,  who failed to complete the process before its letter to INEC on the issue.  The party also warned those approaching some  members of its  leadership to desist as falsifying the records is tantamount to criminality.  This is contained in a  statement signed  by its Founder and Chairman Board of Trustees, Dr Boniface Aniebonam on Sunday. In the statement, the NNPP  insisted that those approaching it now to backdate their incomplete resignation will not be accommodated for obvious reasons.  The party was reacting to controversy within its ranks that some of its  elected members affected by the letter to INEC have approached the leadership to backdate their resignation.  Recall that the NNPP  in a letter to INEC on Monday, Oct. 19, stated that Gov. Abba Yusuf of Kano State, 18 members of the House of Representatives...

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...

Mobolaji Sunmoni, Team Lead, Upstream; Abimbola Ogunyemi, Team Lead, Downstream 1; Tomilola Onasanya, Team Lead, Downstream 2 (all of Fidelity Bank Plc); Frank Aigbogun, Publisher, BusinessDay Media Limited; Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, MD/CEO Fidelity Bank Plc; Patrick Akinwuntan, former Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria; and Amanda Ezeani, Relationship Manager - Energy Division, Fidelity Bank Plc; at the 2026 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards held in Lagos recently Fidelity Bank Plc has continued to show prowess as a leading financial institution in Nigeria. This time the bank glinged two honours at the 2026 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions Awards which was held recently at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. The bank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, received the Award for Excellence in Banking Leadership, while Fidelity Bank was named Best Bank in Oil and Gas Financing. According to BusinessDay M...

The Nigeria Customs Service NCS in another onslaught against illicit drug importation into the country, has intercepted and seized yet another cache of banned substance.  This latest action was carried out by the  Lagos Free Trade Zone Command of the Service as the officers in collaboration with National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA personnels intercepted a 20ft container with Container No. PRSU1562064,  concealed  with 400 kilograms of Cannabis Indica commonly know as 'Loud' with a street value of over ₦2.26 billion. Briefing newsmen yesterday Thursday, 15th  October, 2026, the Acting Area Controller of the Command, Deputy Comptroller Olufemi Kukoyi, who is just barely 2 weeks in office states that the seizure is a significant victory for public safety and national security stressing that illicit drugs fuel addiction, organized crime, and insecurity. Giving an account of the seizure, Kukoyi said his officers, while acting on credible intelligence, halted t...

The Acting Comptroller of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, Ikeja-Lagos, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Olukayode Afeni, has undertaken courtesy visits to sister security and law enforcement agencies in Lagos as part of efforts to strengthen inter-agency cooperation in the fight against smuggling and other trans-border crimes. The familiarisation tour commenced on Wednesday, 14 October 2026. While at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja, the Acting Comptroller was received by the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Tijani Fatai. Other agencies visited include the Department of State Services (DSS); Headquarters, 81 Division, Nigerian Army; the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Strategic Command(NDLEA); the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS); and the 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Ikeja. The engagements, according to the statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the unit, Chief Superintendent of Customs CSC Hussaini Abdullah...