NIMASA, NAVY strengthen ties to combat illegal fishing

NIMASA, NAVY strengthen ties to combat illegal fishing

ZAINAB JUNAID

In a bid to deepen the relationship between Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh OFR, and the Nigeria Navy, the Director General of NIMASA has paid a working visit to the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral E I Ogala, for the collective good of the Nigeria Maritime Industry.

DG NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh and Vive Admiral E I Ogala 

At the NAVAL headquarters Abuja, the dou related mostly on the Illegal unreported and unregulated fishing and strategies more on how Nigerians will enjoy the benefits of natural resources in the Maritime industry.

They also focused on areas of collaboration to ensure the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, in creating the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry are achieved in good time.

 

Increase Exchange Rate: Customs assures efficient service delivery

...set to optimize trade facilitation

ZAINAB JUNAID 

          Guests at the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the League of Maritime Editors(LOME) on Thursday, November 7,2023 in Lagos.

The Customs Area Controller of TinCan Island Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Comptroller Dera Nnadi has assured freight forwarders and the trading community that TinCan Command will optimize service delivery and facilitate trade inorder to reduce the effects of the sudden increase in exchange rate on their businesses.

Comptroller Nnadi stated this while fielding questions from guests at the Silver Jubilee celebration of the League of Maritime Editors(LOME) held on Thursday, November 7, 2023 in Lagos.

It could be recalled that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN had on Thursday morning increased the exchange rate for the calculation of customs duty from seven hundred and eighty three naira, one hundred and seventy four Kobo (N783. 174k) per dollar to nine hundred and fifty one naira, nine hundred and forty one Kobo (N951.941) per dollar. An indication of an upsurge in the cost of clearing cargoes at the nation’s seaports.

While fielding questions after delivering paper on “The new customs act and it’s implication on trade”, Comptroller Nnadi assured the freight forwarders that his command would try to facilitate trade where delays are experienced in customs processes to make up for the sudden increase in exchange rate.

“We will try and facilitate trade so that whatever little thing you would have paid as demurrage can be used to make up for this and that’s the one I can manage. The other ones, the Nigeria Customs Service cannot manage it because it’s a function of the federal government’s directive,” he said.

Relaying how the upsurge also affects officials of NCS, Comptroller Nnadi said, “There’s no supermarket where they sell customs’ bread, all of us buy from the same place. Everything that happens to the economy affects customs officers too. And for your information, I am sure you have contacts or friends who relate with you, I have seen the National Vice President of ANLCA here,I am sure your members may have called you.

“Just before I came here, I addressed the issue that Funso alluded to. We woke up this morning, remember I used the word “we”, that tells you that the Nigeria Customs … We woke up this morning and found out that the exchange rate which is the yardstick for collection of customs duty, which before June/July, was four hundred and twenty naira, per dollar. By July, it jumped down to seven hundred and seventy five naira per dollar, shortly after, it jumped down to seven hundred and seventy eight naira per dollar. This morning, it increased to nine hundred and fifty one point, nine four one per dollar.

“We understand the implications of this to trade bearing in mind that letters of credit have been opened, contracts have been signed, supply requirements have been made, people have negotiated business transactions and decisions on business have been taken based on the existing exchange rate. And we recognized the import of this exchange rate adjustment especially when it is done without a prior notice on trade.

“Before I came here, Prince Segun Oduntan, can ask his members, I addressed freight forwarders in Tincan Island Port this morning. It was part of the reason I came in late. I had to address freight forwarders this morning and I asked my Secretary to prepare a press statement for me and told him what to write that I will give to the media. It is good that I am here now.

“We recognize what the Nigerian business Community is going through now but there is little we can do about fiscal and monetary policies, our role is to implement them. We didn’t make them up but we align ourselves with government policies. Every government decision taken is for the collective interest of the nation and I expect that we must all abide by it. “What I expect that we should do as customs now, which I told the freight forwarders and the clearing agents this morning is that, to mitigate the impact of what they are going to go through in the next few days because of this, we are aware that having charged their clients, the importers what it will cost them to clear these goods, and then, with this sudden increase in exchange rate, if they go back to those importers, the importers may find it difficult to raise the money to give to them to make up. In the course of that, there may be delays and demurrage will be incurred on those cargoes.

“So, on my own part as customs, what I told the clearing agents this morning, before I came here was that, we will optimize our service delivery.”

The CAC maintained that “it is expected that Nigerians should understand that most of our trade activities are highly subsidized. There are no two ways about it. I served in Seme, and I know that every morning, it was very easy for people from Benin Republic to trek into Nigeria to buy items and go back. That does not mean that one will support that there should be an increase in our tariff regimes and rates all the time, but I also expect that Nigerians should be patriotic enough to obey government policies when they are issued because every government policy is always issued in the best interest of the nation.”

On the apprehension that the development may fuel smuggling of goods into the country, Nnadi quipped, “Of course, for every customs officer, not just in Nigeria but globally, one of our greatest challenges is trying to manage trade facilitation with issues of compliance. It’s very difficult but then, that’s why we are in the port, that’s why we are customs officers.

“The issue of forty three items that were denied access to Forex threw up so many challenges in the system and we tried to address it and we did address it. So, if this one also drops another challenge, the same way we addressed the other one, we will also address this. So, don’t be discouraged," he advised.

 

Comrade Adeyanju Bags Professional Associate Award

Comrade Adeyanju Bags Professional Associate Award

ZAINAB JUNAID 

President General, Maritime Workers' Union of Nigeria(MWUN), Comrade(Prince) Dr. Adewale Adeyanju, fnli's natural Prosperity for settling disputes and resolving conflicts calmly without recourse to threat has earned him a professional associate award from the National Association of Government Approved Freight forwarders(NAGAFF).

The award was conferred on him at NAGAFF 24years anniversary and award celebration held on Friday December 8, 2023 at Rockview Hotels, Apapa, Lagos.

Comrade Adeyanju who doubles as the Deputy President Nigeria Labour Congress and also the Chairman, International Transport Workers Federation (ITF),Seafarers Session, Africa, is always committing himself wholeheartedly to work while ensuring that assignments were implemented to dockworkers as at when due and this has been a virtue that has endeared him to all who came in contact with him.

His brilliance as a grievance manager is rooted in his class capacity for articulation as well as enormous propensity for deep and original thinking.

"He is different things to different people, severally described as compassionate, philanthropist, nationalist, a bridge builder,devout Muslim, reformist, administrator, patriot and keeper of the conscience of the workers.

"His understanding and capacity to handle issues of conflicts without fear endeared him to his colleagues, as a leader, he has a remarkable capacity to interact across class divides and also mixes well with different people without losing his essential values and orientation, a lover of peace," NAGAFF said.

Comrade  Adeyanju deserves such award as he has not only trained his mind to be methodical and organized which has made him absorb and process complex details at once but has successfully led changes, innovations, built bridges and mended fences since his inception as President General.

He gradually becomes a new light shining through his personality, illuminating new paths and new frontiers.

'Cultivate the habit of continuous learning'-

...CGC Adeniyi urges Customs Graduates 

ZAINAB JUNAID 

 The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, has emphasized the significance of embracing continuous learning for the recently graduated officers from Senior Course 9 and Junior Course 17.

 

CGC dewale who represented the Deputy Comptroller General of Customs, Sa'idu Galadima, in charge of the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), on 8 December 2023 at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College Gwagwalada, Abuja,  highlighted the importance of professionalism and integrity, urging the graduates to uphold high standards in their service. 

He also encouraged them to use the opportunities in their various commands and take calculated risks.

Also speaking, ACG Kingsley Egwuh, the Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College Gwagwalada praised the graduates for their dedication towards the betterment of the service and the nation. 

Expressing satisfaction with their 100% success rate, he emphasized diverse training areas, including academic standards, proficiency, and weapon handling.

He said, "All graduates should give their careers a purposeful meaning, shun all vices against growth and development, and uphold the motto of the Nigeria Customs Service, which is Justice and Honesty."

The Commandant revealed ongoing projects, including replacing dilapidated chairs in the college hall and installing solar panels.

ACG Egwu, while praising the graduates, expressed optimism that the acquired training would enhance their performance. He thanked CGC Adeniyi and his Management Team for their unwavering support, including approving an African Study Tour to Gambia, Ghana, Mozambique, and Tunisia.

Deputy Commandant and Director of Studies, Comptroller  Oluyomi Adebakin, on his part, stated that the curriculum of the Senior and Junior courses aims to develop human capacity and establish a more effective and efficient Customs allocation. She highlighted the dedication to enhancing officers' skills and abilities with a high level of moral standards.

The Special Guest of Honor, Senator Isah Echocho, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs and Excise, highlighted the global economic challenges and stressed the importance of positively impacting society. He expressed hope that the graduates' ability to advance in technological advancements would contribute to elevating Nigeria's economy.

Similarly, The college hosted a regimental dinner night to honor the graduates of Senior Course 9 and Junior Course 17. The evening celebrated academic achievements and underscored the disciplined ethos of the Nigeria Customs Service.

Amidst the regimental splendor, the night served as a reminder of the service's proud heritage and the graduates' responsibility to carry forward the torch of discipline and tradition. The structured rituals and ceremonial aura encapsulated the ethos of the Nigeria Customs Service, providing a fitting culmination to the accomplishments of Senior Course 9 and Junior Course 17.

The evening concluded with a sense of accomplishment and pride, marking not only the end of academic pursuits but also the beginning of a journey for these graduates to carry forward the values of the Nigeria Customs Service with honor and dedication.

Nigeria Customs Service Management elevates 357 Junior Officers

ZAINAB JUNAID 

As part of the commitment to boost the morale of Officers and Men of the Nigeria Customs Service, management of the Service under the leadership of Comptroller Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, has approved the promotion of 357 Men of the service from the ranks of Customs Assistant I (CAI) to Inspector of Customs (IC) level. 

National Public Relations Officer for the Comptroller General of Customs, CSC Abdullahi Maiwada disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Saturday, November 9, 2023, saying this significant decision was ratified during the 7th Management meeting of 2023, chaired by the Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adeniyi MFR, on December 1, 2023.

According to him, the comprehensive promotion list encompasses both the General Duty(GD) and Support Staff (SS) personnel who excelled in the 2023 promotion exercise. The breakdown of promoted officers is as follows: AIC to IC (246) GD, AIC to IC (37) SS, CAI to AIC (39) GD, CAI to AIC (27) SS, CAII to CAI (7) SS, CAIII to CAII (1) GD.

This strategic advancement mirrors the visionary leadership of the Comptroller-General, emphasising motivation, recognising excellence, and rewarding diligence within the service.

While extending hearty cheers to the newly promoted Officers, the Comptroller General urges them to redouble their efforts in fulfilling the service’s core mandates of Revenue Generation, Suppression of Smuggling, and Trade Facilitation.

NAGAFF 24yrs Anniversary: Founder tasks freight forwarders on the quest for knowledge

 …as Ag. Registrar CRFFN commends NAGAFF Academy for human capacity building 

ZAINAB JUNAID

One of the core visions of the founder, sustainer, nurturer and mentor of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders(NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam was for all freight forwarders to receive professional training so as to gain more confident in handling operations at Ports.

As he stated that the quest for knowledge and wisdom is never an ending one, Dr. Boniface urged forwarders to be more proactive in their search for professional knowledge and upskill themselves in order to contribute to the human capacity building of the Nigerian workforce.

Speaking at NAGAFF 24 years anniversary and award celebration held on Friday at Rockview Hotels in Lagos, the NAGAFF founder stressed that for enhanced productivity in the system to be achieved, every member must have formal education. “Learning has no limit, you will be more confident to handle your operations when you have knowledge. But without it, you will just be wandering about,” he said.

He further urged the freight forwarders to strengthen ties with government in area of  achieving it’s objective as he noted that government cannot achieve it’s mandate alone but with positive collaboration with Freight Forwarders and in order to move the nation forward, collectivity and togetherness should be encouraged.

Also speaking at the occasion, Acting Registrar, Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Mrs Chinyere Uromta in her goodwill message commended NAGAFF academy for the upskill of over 2000 youths which has helped impacted in human capital development.

She said, “Over 2000 graduates have emerged from NAGAFF academy, NAGAFF mandate is in line with the mandate of the Council, that is why NAGAFF Academy is commendable. We need to get it right this time in the Port, bring about enhanced productivity in the force level and mitigate cost and also ensure that we engaged in sensitization programs, we need to bring stakeholders closer and also I will enjoined management of the association not to relent in their efforts of setting things right in the Ports.”

cross section of guests at NAGAFF 24years anniversary & award celebration 

In his welcome address, National President of the Association, Forwarder Ezisi Emmanuel Tochukwo opined that for Nigerian Ports to remain competitive in attracting more cargo flow in the region, government agencies have to check the inefficiencies in the ports and customs operations.

High Chief Tochukwu charged relevant government agencies like Nigeria Port Authority(NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Shippers Council(NSC) among others to make Nigerian Ports more efficient and competitive with global standards especially under the African Continental Free Trade Area(AfCFTA).

To him, “the agencies need to do checks and balances on the Poor quality of services at the port which is key to operational efficiency; arbitrary hike in duty and terminal charge which indirectly affects port operational efficiency; illegal activities of non-state actors within and around the port terminals; how proliferation of agencies contribute to cargo clearing delays; Challenges faced by Truck Drivers in accessing terminal gate and loading among other problems faced by port users.”

Speaking on how the association has immensely contributed to the Country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) since it’s inception, Forwarder Tochukwu stressed that the presence of NAGAFF members’ business operations within and around the port areas has added value to the livelihood of the immediate community through employment and job creation and has enhanced growth in the national economy by facilitating international trade flows through ports across the nation.

He added that the journey of the past 24years has seen NAGAFF grow from its meagre number of persons to over 10,000 registered members.

“Having successfully sustained professional freight forwarding practice for the past 24 years, we are currently working on digitalizing the records of NAGAFF members’ nationwide with an automated database,” he disclosed.

The ceremony was also graced by Comptroller Dera Nnadi, Customs Area Controller of TinCan Island Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service; Barrister Bello Hassan, former Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Nigeria Shippers Council; Acting Registrar CRFFN, Mrs Chinyere Uromta; Dr. Farinto Kayode Collins, MD /CEO Wealthy Honey Investment Ng. Ltd; Captain John T. Okakpu, Chairman and Coordinator, Nigeria Agro Export Setup Committee among others.

'Good Public Relations doesn't happen by accident, it's earned through thoughtful planning'

CSC Maiwada, wins 'Spokesperson of the Year' award

...Credits Success to CGC's Motivation,  Teamwork

'Good Public Relations doesn't happen by accident, it's earned through thoughtful planning' as the ability of deploying new techniques which requires creative thinking of the highest order has earned Chief Superintendent of Customs, Abdullahi Aliyu Maiwada, National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service the prestigious "Spokesperson of the year" award.

ZAINAB JUNAID 

The award was given by Spokesperson's Digest, a division of Image Merchant Public Relations at an event held in Abuja.

In an exclusive post-award interview with NCBN Correspondents, Maiwada disclosed that the accolade did not only acknowledged his dedication but also inspires him to elevate his contributions further. "My motivation comes from a deep passion for my work and the unwavering support of my dedicated team," he stated emphatically.

Known for his dynamic leadership style, Maiwada attributed the success to the collaborative efforts of his staff, saying "Today's recognition is a testament to the collective efforts of my team, serving as a motivating force to strive for excellence.”

Beyond the immediate team, Maiwada expressed gratitude for the motivational guidance he receives from the Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR and his Management Team. He highlighted his belief in extracting the best from his work, adding, “I believe in getting the best out of my work, and this passion, combined with the support of my team and the guidance from my elders, has been the driving force behind my success.”

The National PRO was recognized not just for his professional acumen but also for his commitment to mentorship.

He urged organizers to continue appreciating the dedication and enthusiasm of media practitioners and agencies.

He emphasized the need to sustain a culture of recognition for those making significant contributions in their respective fields.

Maiwada extended heartfelt appreciation to the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs Headquarters Adeogun Alajogun, who represented the CGC at the event for his unwavering support, acknowledging his pivotal role in his accomplishments as the direct supervisor of the Nigeria Customs Service Public Relations Unit.

The ceremony not only celebrated an individual's achievement but also highlighted the collaborative spirit and dedication within the Nigeria Customs Service, reinforcing their commitment to excellence in public relations.