Maritime
Nigerian Shippers Council To Be Scrapped By FG?
There are strong indications that the Federal Ministry of Transport may be considering transmuting one of its department into becoming a commercial regulator for the Nigerian maritime industry, even as there have been reports of the ministry considering a total scrapping of the regulatory agency presently clamoring for the responsibility; the Nigerian Shippers Council.
This revelation was made known yesterday at a one day ‘stakeholder’s clinic on arbitrary shipping charges’ by a member of the Presidential Monitoring Committee on Port Reforms, Prince Olayiwola Shittu. The program was hosted by the Nigerian Shippers Council in collaboration with Akabogu and Associates.
Prince Shittu revealed that at a top brass meeting he had attended in Abuja on Monday, there were plans of the ministry of transport bringing one of its departments to act as a commercial regulator for the ports because the Nigerian Shippers Council is presently perceived as a toothless bulldog.
Speaking, Prince Shittu who is also the president of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Custom Agent (ANLCA) said that “the problem of the port is defying solutions as a result of the ministry of transport interfering in the processes that will solve the problems of the port, this also came to the fore yesterday when we discovered in a meeting in Abuja that all efforts to make the shippers council a commercial regulator in the industry today is being thwarted by the civil servants in the ministry of transport”
Continuing he said “The ministry also came with a decision that a department in the ministry will serve as the regulator for the industry, imagine them seating in Abuja and regulating charges paid in Lagos, it is the government itself that is making it difficult for us to get to where we are going to”
“All the laws made have always made sure that shippers’ council does not have the teeth to bite and the icing on the cake is the recommendation that it should be scrapped” Shittu revealed.
The stakeholders’ clinic which held today was chaired by a chairman frontline maritime consultant, Otunba Kunle Folarin was declared open by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Capt. Adamu Biu.
The clinic which was well attended by a cross section of maritime players including, freight forwarders, maritime lawyers, importers and exporters, however did not have any representations from the shipping companies and terminal operators.
Stakeholders at the clinic took turns to condemn the arbitrary and duplicated charges that are being levied on them at the port by the terminal operators and shipping companies, even as they have also called on the federal government to empower the Nigerian Shippers Council to become the commercial regulator of the ports.
In her address, Shippers’ Council’s Director of Commercial Services, Mrs Dabney Shall-Holma said that the council is set to take the bull by the horn in terms of checkmating arbitrary charges by shipping companies and terminal operators as enshrined in the Act setting up the agency.
She confirmed that the organization has already benchmarked all charges that ought to be collected by all shipping companies and terminal operators at the ports and that this was carried out with the knowledge of all the parties concerned. “This time I think something is going to be done” she assured
She charged Nigerian shippers and their representatives to come to the council with any information on Cargo Data Declarations (CDD) as all shippers in Africa are seating together to criminalize the use of the tool by shipping companies.
Identifying some of the arbitrary charges that are currently being collected at the port, National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Mr. Eugene Nweke in his presentation itemized them saying “the continuous paying of the 7% port charge is arbitrary, paying of VAT is a duplication and is exploitative, Terminal Handling charges which was formally N35, 000 is now N60”
Eugene said that the transfer charges which is as a result of the transferring of containers is an imposition and a criminal act committed by terminal operators and shipping companies, “we even pay for their lack of holding bays and system breakdowns” he said
Resolutions of the meeting was read out by the chairman, Otunba Kunle Folarin that freight forwarders must synergize and speak in one voice through the Council for the Regulations of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) and the shippers council has to be empowered as the commercial regulator of the ports.
Maritime
NIMASA Makes Dockworkers Registration Compulsory
The management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has advised International Oil Companies, terminal and jetty operators, and all other companies involved in stevedoring in the country to refrain from engaging unregistered dockworkers.
The information was contained in a statement made available to Biztellers by the Head, Public Relations, NIMASA, Osagie Edward.
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According to the statement, all stakeholders, including dock labour employers and stevedoring companies, are encouraged to apply for new operating licenses or renew expired ones within a 30-day moratorium period.
“This requirement,” it added, “is stipulated by the NIMASA Act of 2007 and outlined in the NIMASA Stevedoring Regulations of 2014, which mandates strict compliance from all maritime operators.”
Osagie cited the Director General, NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola as laying emphasis on the need for stakeholders to comply with extant laws and regulations.
Dr Mobereola said, “No terminal or company shall continue to engage the services of unregistered dockworkers for cargo handling at their work locations.
“This move is part of our broader effort to ensure safe and regulated operations within Nigeria’s maritime industry. Compliance with these regulations will enhance our ability to maintain an up-to-date database of dockworkers operating in the country. It also improves our planning processes, as we are committed to developing their capacity to meet globally accepted standards for dockworkers in Nigeria. We intend to enforce full compliance after the moratorium period.”
It was gathered that the NIMASA Act, 2007, Part IX, Section 27, addressed the registration of Dockworkers with focus on Maritime Labour.
“It ensures the Registration, Regulation, and control of Maritime Labour, including dockworkers. The Act assigns the Agency the responsibility of maintaining standards in accordance with international best practices,” Osagie added.
Maritime
Maritime Diplomacy: Nigeria Seeks Election Into IMO Council
Nigeria has expressed a strong desire to seek election into Category “C” of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council.
The Honorable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, made the disclosure at the 2024 World Maritime Day parallel event in Barcelona, Spain.
Oyetola noted that Nigeria has put in place the basic needs for the development of her maritime industry in line with recognized global best practices.
In his words, “our active participation in upholding key conventions, such as the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, reflects our dedication to ensuring the safety of international shipping.
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There have been no incidents of piracy in the last three years, as confirmed by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). By deploying resources to provide maritime security assets, Nigeria has solidified its role as a key guardian of maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.
Nigeria remains a valuable source of manpower for the industry. I therefore urge our partners to explore this potential and assist where possible in the best interest of all. Our Maritime Academy has adequate resources and facilities to support this development.
“I am pleased to announce Nigeria’s resolve to seek a Category “C” membership on the Council.
On his part, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, assured that no stone will be left unturned to ensure success in the quest for IMO Category C membership at the next elections.
According to him, “We at NIMASA have met with the IMO technical team and have commenced work on all identified grey areas so that Nigeria can address the gaps identified during the last audit by the IMO.
”We have also commenced the process of effective communication with other member states using the IMO GSIS platform, among others. While we at NIMASA focus on the technical aspects of the preparations, our supervising Ministry will provide the political will to guide Nigeria back to the Council at the IMO.”
Oyetola, who held engagement sessions with the IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez and other diplomats, was accompanied on the working tour by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olufemi Oloruntola; the Director General of the NIMASA; the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho; the Managing Director of NIWA, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji; and the Director of Maritime Safety and Security Services, Mr. Babatunde Bombata.
This year’s parallel event with the theme: Navigating the Future: Safety First, brought together international maritime leaders and experts to discuss future challenges and opportunities, with the aim of ensuring that safety is prioritized in the day-to-day operations of the global maritime sector.
Maritime
Why PPP Is Necessity For Nigeria’s Maritime Infrastructural Dev’t – Mobereola
The adoption of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model is essential for the infrastructural development of Nigeria’s maritime sector.
This is the view of the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola.
The DG, shared his views while hosting the Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr. Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh.
He emphasized the importance of the Commission’s increased involvement in attracting private investors to develop infrastructural capacity in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
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Dr. Mobereola said, “We appreciate the Management of the ICRC for being responsive. However, you know that the maritime sector is capital intensive and government funds cannot solely put in place the required infrastructure. We need the ICRC to develop PPP based business models that will be attractive to the private sector both from within and outside the country.
“There is the need to streamline processes by the use of technology, as we will continue to count on the support of ICRC to help drive the Agency’s PPP projects for effective and efficient service delivery to our stakeholders”.
Lending support to Dr. Mobereola’s views, Dr. Ewalefoh, underscored the significance of the maritime sector to Nigeria’s economy.
He noted that the PPP model would facilitate increased funding and expertise from the private sector, thereby accelerating the growth and development of the Nigerian maritime sector. Additionally, he stated that the ICRC is prepared to engage with the Agency on its projects and ensure timely execution.
“There is no time to waste; our country needs lots of funding for infrastructure and we need to create an enabling environment for activities to thrive. First, is service delivery, not revenue generation, and people will be willing to pay if they get the right services”, the ICRC boss noted.
The PPP model has proven to be the most viable approach worldwide for driving government policies that promote development and economic growth.
Biztellers reports that as a regulatory agency and Nigeria’s Maritime Administrator, the NIMASA has consistently embraced collaboration and partnership through the PPP initiative to ensure the growth and development of the maritime sector.