…Afeni assumes leadership of Ogun 1 Area Customs Command

 The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) says it will enhance trade facilitation, increase revenue, and strengthen enforcement strategies at the Cross River/Calabar Free Trade Zone, as well as the Akwa Ibom Area Command.

Mr Momodu Dauda, the new Comptroller deployed to the area command headquarters, made the pledge in Calabar on Friday on assumption of duty.

Dauda officially takes over from his predecessor, Mr Chukwudi Ogbonna, who has been promoted to the rank of an Assistant Comptroller General (ACG).

He pledged to maintain and build upon the momentum left by his predecessor, as well as work tirelessly to ensure that officers and men of the command were equipped with the necessary skills to achieve results.

The new comptroller also said that he would work to foster a stronger relationship with stakeholders and leverage on their expertise and support to drive the growth and development of the command.

According to him, I believe that collaboration and partnership are crucial to achieving our goals, and I look forward to working with you to make the command a model for others to emulate.

Earlier, Ogbonna said that on assumption of office, he met a command facing multiple challenges.

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He explained that in his 19 months of stay in the command, significant milestones were achieved.

“We transformed the narrative, and today, a lot of those challenges are in the past. Our successes are a testament to the power of teamwork, dedication and innovation,” he said.

In another development, Mr Oladapo Afeni has assumed duty as the new Area Comptroller of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun 1 Area Command, Idiroko.

Mr Chado Zakari, the Command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), made this known in a statement made available to the newsmen on Friday in Sango-Ota.

Zakari explained that Afeni took over from Mr Godwin Otunla, who had been transferred to the Murtala Muhammed Airport Command.

He added that Afeni holds a Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech) in Industrial Design from Federal University of Technology, Akure, and a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and
Strategic studies (MDSS) from the University of Lagos.

In his remarks, Afeni pledged to promote legitimate trade along the borders.

Afeni expressed gratitude to the Comptroller General of Customs for the confidence reposed in him, pledging to consolidate the gains recorded in the areas of trade facilitation, revenue collection, and anti-smuggling activities.

He emphasised the need to strengthen inter-agency cooperation, suppress
smuggling activities to the barest minimum, as well as commitment to prioritise personnel welfare and professional development under his leadership.

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Speaking during the handover, the outgoing Area Comptroller, Godwin Otunla, thanked men and officers of the Command for their support, urging them to also give the same support to the new Area Comptroller.

…As NSE laments the underutilization of Nigeria’s vast marine resources 

The Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN) on Friday warned about persistent stowaway incidents, saying vessels recorded about 2,300 security infractions in 2025.

Chairperson, Mrs Boma Alabi, made the disclosure during a media briefing in Lagos.

She said criminal elements still gain unauthorised access to ships despite payments to agencies meant to protect vessels at berths.

Alabi noted that 15 foreign shipping lines operate in Nigeria, each reporting two to three stowaway cases weekly.

“As a result of stowaway cases, sanctions are imposed on shipping companies, and we bear the cost of repatriation,” she said.

She argued that sanctions should be reviewed, insisting shipping firms are not responsible for such breaches.

“Each arrested stowaway attracts a $2,000 fine paid by the shipping company,” Alabi said.

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She added that immigration collects the fines even though companies already pay agencies in dollars for vessel protection.

She said port delays also hurt manufacturers, as cargo due in a day often arrives after weeks, forcing some firms to close.

Alabi urged Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, to address the shortage of functional pilot cutters in Onne and other ports.

She revealed that shipping lines sometimes hire private boats to support pilots due to the shortfall.

She also criticised port health operations for delaying Free Pratique, especially at Lekki and Apapa ports.

“As shipping lines invest in larger vessels, we need infrastructure support to optimise operations,” she said.

She added that the turning basin in Onne should be widened and more mooring men employed for efficiency.

Alabi said marine police sometimes order shipping lines to halt cargo release, urging strict adherence to proper channels.

She called on the government to reduce regulatory pressures to improve the ease of doing business.

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She also said Nigeria Customs clearing policies should be tested before rollout to prevent demurrage. She urged Customs to obtain court orders before auctioning overtime cargoes.

Alabi said members complained that their cargoes were auctioned after exceeding the 30-day demurrage period.

She said proper procedures would protect importers and prevent needless losses.

Responding, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) security officer, Ikechukwu Igunna, said the 2,300 figure was inaccurate, noting Apapa recorded about 10 cases in 2025.

Similarly, Nigeria Immigration Service spokesman, Mr Akinola Akinlabi, disputed SAN’s figures and urged stakeholders to consult the International Maritime Bureau.

In another development, the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has reiterated that the nation possesses vast marine resources that are underutilised due to a weak technological deployment.

This, among others, was observed in a communique issued in Ibadan at the end of the 2025 NSE International Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Friday.

The communique, arising from the meeting which started on Monday, was signed by NSE President and Chairman‑in‑Council, Mrs Margaret Oguntala.

The body of engineers said the maritime sector also lacked adequate port infrastructure, shipyards, navigational systems, and shoreline protection facilities, hindering it from capturing opportunities of its blue economy.

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It also decried growing environmental threats, such as coastal erosion, flooding, pollution from industrial effluents, oil spills, and unmanaged waste.

This, it said, had continued to degrade marine ecosystems and endanger livelihoods, remaining a persistent threat due to limited modern coastal defence engineering solutions.

It also raised concerns about the challenges of uncertainty facing private investors in Nigeria, due to inconsistent policy direction and inadequate risk-mitigation incentives.

NSE, however, noted that the Nigerian government had demonstrated a strong commitment to the marine and blue economy sector by creating the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

It, however, said the necessary policy frameworks had remained fragmented across the ministry’s agencies.

“With a coastline of over 850 km and vast marine resources, Nigeria has immense potential to grow non-oil sectors like fisheries, aquaculture, coastal tourism, marine biotechnology, and renewable ocean energy.”

“Engineering-driven entrepreneurship in the Nigerian blue-economy sector, such as shipbuilding, marine logistics, and ocean energy, has also remained nascent due to limited incubation and innovation ecosystems.”

“Most Nigerian engineers lack access to funding, innovation labs, and market pathways for developing blue-economy solutions.”

“The blue-economy sector presents significant investment potential, but funding mechanisms remain inadequate and poorly structured for large-scale marine engineering projects.”

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“Local content development in maritime engineering and related industries has also remained low in Nigeria, in addition to other issues,” it said.

The conference recommends that the government develop an integrated National Blue Economy Policy Framework to harmonise the roles of all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

It called for government and private-sector collaboration, modernisation and expansion of ports, jetties, and coastal transport infrastructure, and the adoption of global engineering best practices.

“Also, the government should promote university–industry clusters that support prototype development, patenting, and commercialisation in blue-economy sectors,” it said.

It highlighted the need for the government to strengthen the enforcement of maritime laws and regulations to guard against illegal maritime activities and environmental degradation.

The body reports the emergence of a new National Executive Committee through online voting to run its affairs in 2026.

While Ali Alimasuya Rabiu was voted as the President, Valerie Agberagba came in as the Deputy President, alongside other newly elected officers.

The European Union (EU) and its partners have committed 12 million euros to strengthening the safety, security, and performance of seaports in Lagos and other West and Central African countries.

A statement by Mr Modestus Chukwulaka, the Press and Information Officer of the EU bloc to Nigeria and ECOWAS on Friday, indicated that the commitment is in furtherance of the
Securing Corridors, Ports and Exchanges (SCOPE) Africa project.

Chukwulaka said that more than 100 participants from Togolese institutions, beneficiary ports in West and Central Africa, regional organisations, technical partners and the private sector met for two days in Lomé to launch the project.

According to him, the project is financed by the EU with 12 million euros for a duration of four years, and implemented by Expertise France and Enabel.

He said that SCOPE Africa is a major step in strengthening the safety, security and performance of the beneficiary ports.

Chukwulaka said that the beneficiary ports were all part of the land and sea corridors defined as priorities by the African Union, regional organisations and the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, are as follows.

He listed them to include Lomé in Togo; Douala and Kribi in Cameroon; Praia in Cape Verde, and Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo.

Others are Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire; Libreville in Gabon; Monrovia in Liberia; Lagos in Nigeria, and Dakar in Senegal.

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“The kick-off seminar, organised into general sessions, thematic panels and debates around practical examples, enabled the various stakeholders to understand the operationalisation of the project’s structuring axes.”

“We are taking into account the specific requirements and needs of each partner port: Strengthening compliance with international standards; improving response and crisis management capacities; Professionalisation and training of port stakeholders.

“The delegations took part in a technical visit to the Autonomous Port of Lomé, which made it possible to illustrate in concrete terms the aspects of port safety and security discussed during the exchanges,” he said.

“He said that the seminar was also marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SCOPE Africa and the Regional Maritime University of Accra.

According to him, the MoU was aimed at strengthening cooperation in the training and professionalisation of the maritime and port sector.

“At the end of the event, participants reaffirmed their interest and commitment to work jointly within the framework of SCOPE Africa, with the aim of increasing safety at the ports,’ ‘ he said.