Maritimegistplus

In a bid to transform institutions, enhance public trust, and improve service delivery, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Monday, 11 August 2025 at the Apapa Area Command formally flagged off its strategic reputation management campaign in Zone ‘A’. The Zonal Coordinator in charge of Zone 'A',  Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) Charles Orbih, described the launch as a turning point in redefining Customs Officers' identity in Nigeria. He stated, "Understanding what we deal with is fundamental to our success. Reputation, as defined in this guide, is a collective perspective about institutional integrity and performance". "For the Nigeria Customs Service, a strong reputation enhances public trust, encourages inter-agency and international cooperation, boosts morale among staff while improving citizen engagement", he added.  In his remarks, the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu PhD, stressed that the Comman...

The Nigerian Ports Authority under the leadership of Managing Director,  Dr. AbuDantsoho, held a two-day Management Retreat themed “Repositioning the Nigerian Ports System for Sustainability.”  The retreat, which focused on reviewing and optimizing operational processes to enhance service delivery, undertook a business process re-engineering to identify and address bottlenecks and inefficiencies, ensuring a more customer-centric approach. The NPA, at the retreat also signed a Performance Bond, reinforcing its commitment to operational excellence and achieving the Priorities of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as directed by the Honorable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, HE. Alh. Adegboyega Oyetola.  This strategic initiative also underscores NPA’s dedication to improving efficiency, customer satisfaction, and long-term sustainability in Nigeria’s port system.

L-R: Executive Director Operations, NIMASA, Engr. Fatai Taiye Adeyemi; Director General, NIMASA Dr. Dayo Mobereola; NIMASA Board Chairman Hon. Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar; Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services NIMASA, Mr. Jibril Abba; Executive Director, Finance and Administration, NIMASA, Mr. Chudi Offodile and a NIMASA Board Member, Mr. Babatunde Bombata, during the Board’s inaugural meeting in Lagos.     The members of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), during their inaugural meeting in Lagos, declared their commitment to supporting the Agency’s Executive Management in delivering on its mandate. The Chairman of the NIMASA Board, Hon. Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar, assured that the Board would stand firmly by the Agency to help realise its mandate, with a view to actualising a robust Blue Economy in Nigeria. According to a press release issued by the Head of Public Relations of NIMASA, Edwards Osagie, the C...

In line with its statutory mandate under Sections 103 to 107 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, and in furtherance of ongoing reforms to strengthen professionalism and regulatory efficiency in the freight forwarding sector, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced consultations with stakeholders on a planned review of licensing renewal fees for Licensed Customs Agents. This was disclosed during a high-level stakeholders’ engagement with executives of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), and Customs Consultative Committee (CCC), held at the NCS Headquarters, Abuja, on Thursday, 07 August 2025.  This meeting according to a press release issued by the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada marks the first in a series of consultat...

The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Shippers' Council (NSC), Dr. Akutah Pius, MON, has emphasized the importance of stakeholders' engagement in actualizing the Council's mandate as the nation's Port Economic Regulator.  Dr. Akutah made this declaration during a courtesy visit by the executive members of the Senior Staff Association of Shipping, Clearing & Forwarding Agencies to the NSC's Headquarters in Lagos recently. Dr. Akutah expressed the Council's readiness to partner with the association to drive the maritime sector forward. He assured that the Council would listen to any issues brought to its attention and work collaboratively to address them.  The Director, Consumer Affairs Department, Mr. Celestine Akujobi, reiterated the Council's openness to specific partnerships with stakeholders, highlighting the NSC's success in engaging with stakeholders, particularly the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ...

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced the interception of arms, ammunition, pharmaceuticals and other  products concealed in 16 containers at Apapa port. This was disclosed yesterday by the Comptroller General of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, during a press briefing held at the Apapa Command headquarters in Lagos. The CGC informed that 14 out of the 16 containers were laden with prohibited drugs, expired medicament, expired food items and other items that contravains   the import guidelines, including arms and ammunition with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized items according to the CGC is N10,273,694,595.00 (Ten billion, two hundred and seventy-three million, six hundred and ninety-four thousand, five hundred and ninety-five naira) only. Adeniyi noted that these smuggled items have harmful effect on the health and wellbeing of unsuspecting citizens who would have consumed them and in addition to causing insecurity in the country. He expressed regr...

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, has listened to the voice of Nigerians especially maritime stakeholders who has at different fora called for the extension of the tenure of the current Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR.  The CGC who was recently elected as the Chairman of World Customs Organization Council for his transformational effort in prepositional the service was  According to a statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy Mr. Bayo Onanuga today, 31st July stated that the extension will the CGC to consolidate ongoing reforms and complete critical initiatives of his administration. The statement reads in full, "The Presidency  announces that the tenure of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, which is due to expire on August 31, 2025, has been extended by one year. The extension, approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, wil...

The National Compliance Joint Taskforce of Licensed Clearing Agents- NCJTFLCA has decried the continued exploitation of Nigerians by international Shipping lines operating in the country for their various systematic delay tendencies, obnoxious charges and persistent increase in various charges. This was stated by the National President of the taskforce, Dr.Basil Nwolisa while speaking with a group of journalists at the National headquarters in Apapa on Tuesday. He accused major players like Maersk Line, PIL, Elder Dempster, TICT and MSC, of systematically engineering delays that allow them to use customers’ funds paid as Container Deposit to sustain internal operations, in his words,  “they are running business with our money, when you apply for a refund, it can take one or two months. Meanwhile, they’re using that deposit to run their own business". According to Dr. Nwolisa, some shipping lines operate with fewer than ten physical staff, making real-time customer service impossib...

The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Shippers' Council (NSC), Dr. Akutah Pius, MON, has reaffirmed the agency's commitment to promoting the Federal Government's National Policy on Marine & Blue Economy.  He made this known while delivering his keynote address at the Council's Special Retreat with the theme “Achieving Strategic Intents Through Performance Lens” held at De Phantom Continental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos from 23rd to 24th July, 2025. Dr. Akutah assured that the NSC is ready to align its activities with the National Policy on Marine & Blue Economy, hr informed that all departments, particularly Legal Services, Strategic Planning and Research, Regulatory Services, Cosumer Affairs, Inland Transport Services Departments and Zonal Coordinators are to align annual work plans with relevant components of the national policy. The NSC boss lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his courageous leadership and visionary approach to governanc...

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) through the Seme Krake Border Area Command has intercepted five trucks of rice and other smuggled goods worth N1.258bn. The Customs Area Controller of Seme Command, Comptroller Ben Oramalugo PhD, disclosed this to newsmen on yesterday during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Seme.  He said two of the five trucks with 2,800 bags of rice and 250 bales of second hand clothings, were seized between 1st July and 19th July 2025. Comptroller Oramalugo went further to disclosed that the seizures were made possible through “vigilance, resilience, and doggedness of the officers and men of the Command and collaborative support from other security agencies, particularly the Nigerian military. Giving account of the seizures, Oramalugo said, “ For the past two weeks, between the 1st July and 19th July 2025, the operatives of the Command acting on credible intelligence and coordinated enforcement strategies, successfully intercepted and seized a tot...