FEC Approves $4.7bn for Ondo, Snake Island, Burutu Ports Development

 

...Changes Federal Ministry of Aviation to ‘Ministry of Aviation & Aerospace of Nigeria’.

ZAINAB JUNAID

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the sum of $4,713,841,477 for the development and expansion of multipurpose Port in Ilaje, Ondo state, Snake Island seaport in Lagos state and the Burutu seaport in Delta state respectively.

According to the details of the approval, Ondo Port will be developed through a Public- Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with the sum of $1.48 billion total private investment on a concession term of 50 years period;  Snake Island port Lagos, will be developed and expanded through the same PPP model to the tune of $974,185,203 on a concession term of 45 years period. the expansion and development of Burutu port, Delta state will gulp up a total sum of $1.2 billion private investment outlay with a concession term of 40 years period.

The FEC meeting was presided by President Mohammad Buhari while the Minister of Transportation, Alhaji Muazu Sambo presented the memo to the council for approval.

In a related development, the meeting which lasted several hours also saw to the review of name of Federal Ministry of Aviation to Ministry of Aviation amd Aerospace of Nigeria.

The development was said to be in line with current global realities in the aviation sector.

The Council also gave approval of a draft National Civil Aviation Policy, which was last reviewed in 2013.

Jamoh Bags Public Servant of the Year 2022 Award

 Jamoh Bags Public Servant of the Year 2022 Award

ZAINAB JUNAID

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has been awarded Public Servant Of the year 2022 by the Champion Newspapers Nigeria Limited.

Jamoh, alongside some prominent Nigerians, which include Governors Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, Sanwo Olu of Lagos, and Audu Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State also received different categories of awards.

Presenting the award on behalf of the organization in Lagos this weekend, the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank Plc, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe said the award was in recognition of Jamoh’s achievements in NIMASA

The Champion Newspapers said Jamoh’s recognition was borne out of the fact that the agency under his leadership has made fresh inputs due to his leadership skills.

“We note with delight, that you are first among the leading Directors -General/CEO’s of government agencies in Nigeria that have distinguished themselves not only as very resourceful business managers, and technocrats but also shown a high degree of integrity and transparency in both private and public affairs.

"Your ingenious, creative, pragmatic and resilient approach to leadership has brought a lot of transformation to the NIMASA which includes deployment of an integrated national security and waterways protection infrastructure in Nigeria code-named the Deep Blue Project.

"You have demonstrated passion, dedication, competence, commitment, and dynamism leading NIMASA to contribute its quota to the rapid socio-economic development in Nigeria,” Champion Newspaper said. 

While receiving the award, Jamoh thanked the Newspaper company for the honor, assuring that the recognition would spur him to do more.

He also dedicated the award to maritime stakeholders and NIMASA staff.

Dana Air Supports Guinness World Record-Breaking chef - Hilda Baci with one year free tickets.

 Dana Air Supports Guinness World Record-Breaking chef - Hilda Baci with one year free tickets.

...Mum gets 3 months of free flights

ZAINAB JUNAID

Dana Air has announced its support for the Guinness World Record-breaking Chef Hilda Baci, with one year of free tickets for all her domestic travels.

Hilda surpassed the current world record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual. 

The 27-year-old started cooking on Thursday 11th May 2023 and surpassed India's Lata Tondon who set the record with 87 hours 45mins in 2019. 

Speaking on the support for Hilda Baci, the Chief Operating Officer of Dana Air, Ememobong Ettete, Dana Air has and will always support the craft, creativity, efforts, and innovations of young Nigerians who embody the true Nigerian spirit as a proudly Nigerian brand. 

"We have always blazed the trail in terms of support for the arts and entertainment industry, health care, and culture and our corporate social responsibility has bee0chef and she must have gotten this inspiration from her and in the light of this, we shall be supporting her mum with 3 months of local flights for free. We thank Hilda's mum for giving us an amazing daughter and for being a huge support system to Hilda.   

"We thank all those who came out to dispassionately support one of our own. You are the real MVP," Ettete said. 

COMTUA, AWAEMAP seek Litigation Over Revised Procedures for Agro Export Industry

 Revised Procedure for Agro Export Industry: NPA Debunks Truckers Claim of suffocating Industry

...Unions Seek litigation

ZAINAB JUNAID

Just as the Association of West African Exporters and Maritime Professionals (AWAEMAP) and the Council of Maritime Transport Unions and Associations (COMTUA), concluded plan to take management of Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) to court over the recently licensed five exporting warehouses and the revised policy for processing Agro export truck to Port which they saw as an alleged plot by the authority to suffocate the industry, NPA management has debunked the Associations allegations.

The Nigerian Port Authority declared that the newly revised policy only sent jitters to middle men and those who have hitherto hijacked an important aspect of the export value chain, operating from non verifiable locations & expecting to be allowed to access the ports from those locations and who are not prepared for more visibility and accountability without a fight including blackmail is the reason for overheating the Eco system.

Responding to the allegations put forward by AWAEMAP and COMTUA in a telephone chat with our Reporter, Mrs Josephine Moltok in a document "UNDERSTANDING THE DEPLOYMENT OF EXPORT PROCESSING TERMINALS FOR EXPEDIENT LOGISTICS HANDLING FOR EXPORT CARGOES" made available to our reporter, partly reads that, the policy being a new initiative, may experience some challenges but the Authority is in continuous stakeholders’ engagement to allow for familiarization with the policy and for genuine exporters, while there are temporary teething problems that would soon be overcome, the EPTs represents a major leap and improvement both procedurally and cost wise.

AWAEMAP and COMTUA earlier accused the Managing Director of the authority, Mr. Bello Koko of plotting to stifle the Nigerian Export Industry with the establishment of the five terminals rather than facilitating export as claimed.

At a National media charts jointly organised by the associations in Lagos recently, AWAEMAP Chairman, Mr. Olubunmi Olumekun, stated that NPA's revised policy compromised the realities in the system it pretends to assist.

To Olumekun, "the resolution to introduce a new Standard Operating System by the authority which establishes a One Stop Shop Terminal for Agro- Export Containers referred to as 'Domestic Export Warehouse' (DEW) would have been applauded by the unions if such decision was made to ensure the new warehouses complement the already existing over 200 customs licensed warehouses scattered all over the country. Rather the decision is to refuse entry into the Nigerian ports all over the country any Agro- Export bound container that has not made use of these established warehouses."

He decried that the actions of the NPA in designating these few warehouses as the only Warehouses where export bound containers could be accepted for gating-in is in direct contravention of the Customs and Excise Management Act CAP 84 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 ('the Customs Act") especially Part IV, Section 82 which clearly makes provisions for the use of licensed warehouses including private warehouses for the purpose of processing export bound goods.

"However, we have written letter to NPA and office of the Vice President to notify them of the danger at stake, only office of the vice president responded to our letter and we have decided to go to court and infact we have been given date," he explained.

Alhaji Inaolaji Nofiu Liadi, CEO Harlink Investment Limited on his part narrated his ordeal with the authority and also maintained that the new plan negates Customs and Excise Management Act and does not in anyway agree with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council's DEW.

National President of COMTUA, Comrade Adeyinka Aroyewun, also buttress this argument by affirming that the decision was planned by the MD of NPA as a pension plan to ensure he continues to enrich himself especially after his tenure at the helms of the NPA comes to an end.

Aroyewun argued that the revised procedure for processing agro export truck to port was carried out within short period without proper and due consultations with genuine stakeholders.

"Continous misrepresentation of genuine stakeholders by Pseudo Truckers is a ploy to get endorsement through the backdoor for an inappropriate policy and this has affected negatively, the outcome of most NPA policies concerning trucking activities, Aroyewun added.

The Union went further that with the revised policy, exporters would be forced to pay for: Handling Charge, Weighbridge, Documentation charge, Examination Position Fee, Trucking to Port & Storage Charges cumulatively amounting to about $650 extra charges per container box. It is instructive to state that all these charges listed would have been incurred by exporters prior to accessing this DEW which invariable leads to double expenditure for exporters.

"Currently, Agro-Export containers departing from neighboring countries like Republic of Benin come at a cost of minimum $200 cheaper than exporting same value Agro export container box from any port within Nigeria due to the numerous regulatory and logistics challenges bedeviling our maritime export industry. Our members are already finding it hard to survive competing with our neighboring countries, this move by the Mr. Bello-Koko would force most Nigerian exporters to begin to channel our export produces through these neighboring countries. It is imperative at this juncture to bring to the attention of the general public the actions of this public servant, as the ripple effect of this policy would cut across all spheres of the Nigerian economy," the union had said.

However, when contacted, spokesperson for the Nigerian Port Authority,  Josephine Moltok, made a  document available to our reporter which partly reads that before the establishment of the five terminals, a joint newspaper advertorial for Expression of Interest for The Certification of Export Processing Terminals to Service Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port Complex vide Public Notice No. 4152 by the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council was released on Monday 26th April 2021 and closed on Monday 24th May, 2021 

"The central focus of management action in this regard was to position the Nigerian Ports Authority as the gateway to the economy to play a pivotal role in ensuring export expansion and development through the seaports.

"NPA interest to increase local capacity and participation in Nigerian export business was central both in consideration and certification of the Export Processing Terminals.

"The EPTs initiative was to insulate the export logistics processes from the hinderances to clearance and documentation of cargo for shipment at the main ports as well as to ensure that the degradation of the value of Nigerian Export due to lengthy logistics procedure and waiting time was eliminated.

"A total of twenty-seven (27) facilities were inspected by the approved Inspection Committee comprising of Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and Lagos State Government (LASG, for Lagos State Locations only), following which seventeen (17) were prequalified, out of which only ten (10) companies met the qualification threshold. 

Of these ten (10), only five (5) are currently ready and operational.  

"The introduction of EPTs is the Authority’s response to the Presidential Executive Order 001 over the complaints of the exporters particularly Agro products exporters of degradation of their products before it gets to the port of destination due to hectic and lengthy logistics stay at the port corridor.

"Our desire is to achieve a timely and predictable logistics processes for export as a boost to the economic diversification programme of the Federal Government."   

The document further read that NPA is not unaware of concerns raised lately ; while EPTs are expected to charge for services and use of their facilities as venture capitalists, the Authority ensures those charges are not replicated inside the port as the container arrives for shipment. Indeed an internal review shows that the charges when juxtaposed with the overall experience of exporters before the deployment of the electronic call up system when export boxes are held up along the port corridor in the gridlock for days and weeks, the charges pales into insignificance.

"On the capacity of the number of export terminals approved to commence operations, the Nigerian Ports Authority is constantly monitoring and will increase the number of EPTs to match the growth in number of export boxes should the need arise," the document reads. 

It is a known fact that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) gave five private sector firms operating licences to run terminals solely dedicated to processing export containers bound for ports in Lagos, Apapa and Tin-Can Island, six months ago.

The five terminals are Diamondstar Port & Terminals Ltd, Ijora; Esslibra Terminal in Ikorodu; Sundial Global Trade & Service Ltd in Kirikiri; Bellington Cargo Ltd in Okokomaiko; and Tenzik Energy Ltd in Kirikiri Lighter Term. 

The exit of an Iconic Shipping Magnate

 The exit of an Iconic Shipping Magnate 

The announcement of the death of Barrister (Mrs) Margaret Nkem Onyema-Orakwusi, a revered maritime practitioner has again put the entire maritime industry into another grieving mood. 

An industry yet to recover from the loss of Otunba Kunle Folarin, another maritime beacon, who also passed on to the glory of God late last year.

Barrister Orakwusi died on April 28th, 2023 after a brief illness as announced via a statement by her children-Ezinma Ileka, Binyelum, and Ody Orakwusi.

Prior to her demise, Barrister Mrs Onyema Orakwusi was the first female President, Nigeria Trawler Owners Association (NITOA) 2008 – 2011. She was one of the founding partners of Consolidated Legal Practise; a foremost maritime lawyer and Chairman of Nigerian Ship Owners Forum. 

She has handled varieties of cases involving acts committed on the high seas and other navigable waters, including:  cargo claims, collision, limitation of liability, personal injury, salvage, marine liability, vessel arrests, seamen and longshoreman injuries, various types of liens, warranty issues, vessel mortgage and documentation, salvage, vessel fires and vessel repair disputes.

Compassionate in putting people’s lives first, Barrister Orakwusi had consistently adopts soft skills and emotional intelligence that brings desirable professional attributes to both politics and businesses alike.

Greatly, many eulogises her contributions to the maritime industry at large, as she left behind an indelible mark which will continue to be cherished in the industry.

She was a recipient of several awards both locally and internationally, and was known for her major areas that includes- Company law, Maritime law, Criminal law, among others. 

Barrister Onyema-Orakwusi also served as the first Chairperson, Women Corporate Directors (WCD) Nigeria between 2012 and 2016.

May the Almighty grant her eternal rest and forgive her Short Comings.

French Ocean Liner Imposes $250 on Nigeria Bound Cargo from Asian Countries

French Ocean Liner Imposes $250 excess fee on Nigeria-Bound Cargo from Asian Countries 

The French ocean carrier, CMA CGM, has imposed an excess fee of $250(N184,250) on all Nigeria--Bound 20 feet dry containers from Asia, India and East Coast. 

According to the French ocean liner, the surcharge, called overweight surcharge(OWS), has already taken effect from April 28th, 2023.

”The French ocean carrier will implement a fee of US$250 per 20′ dry container with a container gross weight equal to or over 18 tons from China, South East Asia, North East Asia and the East Coast of India to the Nigerian Ports of Tin Can, Apapa and Onne" it says.

CMA CGM said the surcharge will be applicable to short-term contracts (three months and below )only.

Why Women Leadership Matters

'Why Women Leadership Matters'.- MAJAN President

ZAINAB JUNAID

While technical skills and knowledge are fundamental to everyday businesses and politics, women consistently adopts soft skills and emotional intelligence that brings desirable professional attributes to both politics and businesses alike.

As all Nigerian women joined their female gender counterparts to celebrate International Women's Day globally today, the President General, Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria (MAJAN), Comrade Ray Ugochukwu, has congratulated Nigerian women both home and in diaspora on the occasion, and stressed on how the positive impact of women in leadership role would be if given more opportunities by the Nigerian Government especially, to pertake more in governance and political affairs of the country.

Comrade Ray, who is highly gender sensitive, opined that the country should encouraged more women in leadership roles .

His words, "Women are good administrators in public offices and are also government within the families. Many Nigerian women have excelled in their various careers and should be commended for their steadfastness and resilience.

"Women are very special people in the society. They are our daughters, sisters and mothers. So, we use this special occasion to honour and rejoice with them," he said. 

Women generally, are always compassionate in putting people’s lives first – which also turns out to be best for the economy in the long run. Especially in area of transparency, flexibility and a willingness to admit mistakes; clear, consistent communication and encouraging values of cooperation and empathy.  They always put a premium on sustainability, both in politics and in businesses. 

The MAJAN President further described International Women's Day celebration as a well thought-out occasion meant to honour women for their tremendous contributions to national development and called on government to create a level playing ground for more women to thrive in entrepreneurship.