The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) flagged off Thursday, its annual Capital procurement process for 2024 at the National Headquarters in Ebute Metta, Lagos.

The Maritime First learnt that the significance of this exercise was to ensure transparency in the selections of the most competent bidders among the 524 documents that bidder.

The Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Fidet Okhitia was represented, by Dr. Monsurat Omotayo flagged off the exercise. 

In her remarks, she promised it would be a transparent exercise, even as she identified some of the challenges before they arrived at the present state of the exercise.

She however noted that placing two Adverts, on the nation’s national daily was not planned for initially.

According to the Director of Procurement, NRC, 524 companies bid across the three categories, as published in the National newspapers.

The Categories were: 

*Works, comprising renovations, growth, and repairs of locomotives, coaches and rolling storks.

*Services, covering business concerns bordering on insurance, and alternative revenue generation.

Goods, which touches on supplies of lubricants, diesel (AGO), spare parts, and track materials.

Amongst the audience were professional evaluators, and representatives of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Management Supplies. 

Others were Non-governmental organizations like the Civil liberty, Professional bodies, Outside observers, and the members of the Fourth Estate.

Participants were made to register their details at the entry point. While, the Health Safety and Environment (HSE) was also on ground to ensure adequate care, and to nip in the bud, any health challenges.

….In the Regulated Port Service Provider and Users platform 

The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) has registered stakeholders in the maritime industry on its Regulated Port Service Provider and Users platform with the theme “Regulated Port Service Provider and Users” in Lagos. 

The Executive Secretary of NSC, Mr Pius Akutah, disclosed this at the sensitisation programme by the commission for port operators.

Akutah, ably represented by Director Consumer Affairs, Chief Cajetan Agu, said the sensitisation programme was the second edition after its commencement during the last quarter of 2023.

The CEO of NSC said that the 160 registered port operators consist of agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, individual port users, as well as service providers.

“We invited the stakeholders of the port to enlighten them on the processes for online registration of Regulated Port Service Provider and Users.

“We have demonstrated to them how to register and how to make payment and we were able to present before them the various categories under the registration.

“The rate of payment is also in the registration. The payment of each group depends on the operation. A shipper pays N30,000, terminal operators and shipping companies pay N300,000, truckers also pay N30,000 while some pay N50,000 as well as N100,000.

“The council was able to intimate them on the benefits because port users benefit more as we help to interface for reducing port charges from time to time,” Akutah said.

He said that there was a need to continue to work with port operators to stop delays and also eliminate high costs to make the port efficient.

The Deputy Director, Stakeholders, Service, NSC, Mr Celestine Akujobi, said the sensitisation exercise was important for the council to enable us to bring all the port stakeholders together.

According to him, this is to avoid challenges which might unfold during the implementation of the council’s responsibilities.

“We are engaging other ports across the country and we hope that before the last quarter of 2024, the council will implement sanctions on the defaulting operators”

“By the time we introduce sanctions on defaulters, no operators will complain that he or she is not aware of the registration.

“I’m happy with the turnout of this sensitisation. This shows that the operators are well informed of the statutory fiction of the council as the port regulator.

“The final implementation will commence as soon as we ascertain that all the operators have keyed into the portal.

“We are engaging other ports across the country and we hope that before the last quarter of 2024, the council will implement sanctions on the defaulting operators,” Akujobi said.

The Vice Chairman of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwards (NAGAFF), Dr Ifeanyi Emoh said that port challenges were enormous. He noted that they originated from some government agencies.

Emoh urged the council to look into regulating other government agencies so that they could be a window where they collected port challenges collectively instead of indiscriminate charges.

The Member of the National Council of Managing Director of Licensed Customs Agents, Mr Abayomi Duyile, commended NSC, saying that the sensitisation would enable both the government agencies and port users to operate on the same level.

The Chairman, Board of Trustee (BOT), NEXUS Association of Maritime Truckers Operators (NAMTOP), Mr Raheem Morufu, said he had registered since November 2023, but found it difficult to register on the NSC portal.

“I’m now well informed after the training that everyone will register individually, regardless of their operations to be attended to when there is a challenge.

“I want to commend NSC for their intervention when the shipping companies overcharged me. I was able to be refunded N20 million after the intervention,” Morufu said.

…As pioneer president, Engr. Ogbeifun stresses the need for sensitisation, Stakeholders’ engagement 

The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, has assured the nation’s shipowners of adequate vessel protection, stressing that they could go to bed with both eyes closed. 

The Admiral who also noted that the Nigerian Navy is happy and proud to be associated with SOAN; equally believes that SOAN recognizes their enduring cordial relationship with the Nigerian Navy. 

The CNS stated this in Lagos at the weekend, during the inauguration of the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria SOAN new executives, headed by Sonny Eja as President.

“The Nigerian Navy is committed to the safety and security of the ships at sea and would continue to provide the enabling environment for shipping trade, movement of goods and cargo”, Ogalla ably represented by the Managing Director of the Naval Dockyard, Rear Admiral Bolaji Oyederu said, stressing that everything thing that has legitimate reasons to be on the nation’s maritime space would adequately enjoy enduring safety and security.

*L-R: The Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, Managing Director, Muhammed Bello-Koko with the SOAN pioneer President, Engr. Greg Utomwen Ogbeifun…during the inauguration of the new SOAN Executives team.

He called the shipowners’ attention to the importance of the Naval Dockyard as a premier Logistics facility of the Nigerian Navy, responsible for ship maintenance and docking, highlighting that Nigerian shipowners should avail of its services and gladly maintain their assets there.

“As it is today, we dock ships for shipowners apart from the Nigerian Navy”, he highlighted, saying that the dockyard had already created not fewer than three sea-going ships in addition to a noteworthy dockyard, offering services to several other non-navy vessels. 

 “Please bring your ships to the Naval dockyard,” he said, assuring that the Naval Dockyard would certainly exceed their expectations. 

In the meantime, a founding member of SOAN and pioneer president, Engr. Greg Ogbeifun has stressed the need for shipowners to see themselves as an association of global trading bodies and thus, take advantage of the platform’s opportunity.

In this regard, he therefore harped on the importance of stakeholders’ sensitisation and strategic engagement, to re-position, over foreign dominance.

*The President of the distinguished association, Sonny Eja 

“It is safe to say that the majority of shipowners in that space are Nigerian shipowners as opposed to those days when it was foreign-dominated. This government has given us the platform to step out and why should we be happy that all the cargoes going out and coming in are carried by foreign shipowners? We must start talking about the global space.”

*SOAN President, Sonny Eja (Middle) flanked by the nation’s foremost shipping mogul, Engr. Greg Utomwen Ogbeifun (Left) and revered Maritime lawyer, Barrister (Dr.) Emeka Akabogu, during the symbolic event, at the prestigious Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Some of the dignitaries present were the Nigerian Ports Authority Managing Director, Mohammed Bello Koko; the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority NIWA, Bola Oyebamiji; a former Director General of NIMASA, Barrister Temisan Omatseye; a former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Barrister Hassan Bello who chaired the occasion.