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Air Traffic Management: Nigeria Needs Innovations - Experts

Bird strike Incidents: Domestic Operators Lose Over $180m Annually – AON

July 6, 2015 0 2,522

Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), last week, said their members lose over $180 million to bird strike incidents at airports in Nigeria every year. The members also said over 70 percent of crashes that occurred in Nigeria were as a …

Why Africa Lost IMO Sec-Gen. Election

July 4, 2015 0 1,171

Outcome changes IMO NIMASA DG clashes with Perm. Sec. over election Capt. Olugbade faces recall The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary General election took place last week, with Africa defeated again, against the great expectation in the global maritime community …

NIMASA, NPA, NCC Not Paying Monies Generated To FG Account

June 30, 2015 0 1,288

The Chairman of the Governors Forum and Zamfara governor, Abdulaziz Yari has stated that revenue generating agencies like NIMASA, NPA and the NCC have not been paying monies generated from their agencies to the federation account as required by the …

APR To IMO: NIMASA DG Slaps Ex- Transport Minister, Umar

June 29, 2015 1 3,924

Nigeria High Commission rejects nominees Confusion now trails the nomination of the Nigeria’s Alternate Permanent Representative(APR) to the International Maritime Organisation(IMO) in the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA), Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Federal Ministry of Transport. …

NPA Orders Quick Intervention On The Deplorable Apapa Road

June 29, 2015 0 1,081

The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Aihaji Sanusi Lamido Ado Bayero has directed that immediate temporary rehabilitation works should commence on the deplorable road network linking Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports. The Managing Director gave this directive when …

APR To IMO NIMASA DG Slaps Ex- Transport Minister, Umar Nigeria High Commission rejects nominees Confusion now trails the nomination of the Nigeria’s Alternate Permanent Representative(APR) to the International Maritime Organisation(IMO) in the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA), Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Federal Ministry of Transport. This development is equally unsettling the Nigeria High Commission in London, with the fear that the prevailing ethno-political intrigues will for decades seal Nigeria’s chances of being on the Governing Council of the IMO. The retirement of the current APR to IMO, Capt. Ibraheem Olugbade on account of long service in November, 2015 has created a vacuum waiting to be filled. NIMASA, with the approval of the Director General, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, had sent the name of Mr. Felix Bob-Nabenna as nominee for APR to the former Minister of Transport, Sen. Idris Umar, who after due consideration, disqualified Bob-Nabenna on account of experience and service and directed that the nomination be substituted by Mallam Dikko Bala, a deputy director in NIMASA who is on secondment to the office of the Minister as special assistant.With all relevant procedures concluded with the relevant ministries and agencies for Bala ‘s nomination, Akpobolokemi, feeling that the Minister had no right to change his nomination approached former President Goodluck Jonathan with another nomination seeking approval for the person of Mr. Fred Ugo, an assistant director, Shipping Development, NIMASA. MMS Plus Weekly gathered that the Director General got the approval as one of the parting approvals from Jonathan without the knowledge of the Minister of Transport, who shortly after was removed from office following the coming of a new President. Seeing that the Minister has gone, NIMASA wrote to the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, intimating of them of confusion in the nominations. Procedurally, the ministry replied seeking explanation, following which Dikko was swapped for Fred Ugo, who is said not to have the requisite knowledge, skill and experience to represent Nigeria in IMO as APR. According to sources in NIMASA, Ugo graduated in 2002 and was employed as level 12 officer but was single-handedly placed on level 13 by Akpobolokemi later, in difference to the civil service rule. Shortly after this, NIMASA wrote to Ministry of Transport, seeking a Surveyor, and forwarded his name. Consequently, he was promoted to level 15. However, the source Ugo is not a Surveyor because it takes, at least ten years to train a marine surveyor. Fillers from Nigeria High Commission in London is that both Ugo and Dikko are not qualified to represent Nigeria in IMO on account of experience and training and by civil service procedures. “Ugo and Dikko are not experienced enough to represent Nigeria as the Alternate Permanent Representative. An interview needs to be conducted by the ministry of transport to pick the right person. And if you don’t have the right person in place, in the next 20 years, Nigeria will never get near the governing council seat of IMO. It is not a posting for favour. Ugo is a fresh graduate and his ascendance to an assistant director is questionable and against the civil service procedure,” the source noted. Speaking with a diplomat on this, he listed the requirements for APR thus: “Good understanding and knowledge of maritime policy; diplomatic skills and ability to communicate and build consensus among the membership of the organization; matured and measured disposition. Being a marine engineer, master mariner or any other technical qualification could be an ‘’add on’’ but does not guarantee effective representation as currently being experienced. IMO as a United Nations Agency is first and foremost a diplomatic mission with responsibility for shipping and maritime regulation. IMO carries out duties through diplomacy against the backdrop of maritime technical issues and arrives at desired result through consensus. ” If Nigeria is serious about maritime and its representation at IMO, an independent panel must be constituted to interview candidates from the Ministry of Transport and its agencies with a view to selecting the best candidate who must not necessarily come from NIMASA. Yusuf Suleiman, former minister of transport started that inclusiveness by appointing a deputy director APR from NPA,” he added. Reviewing this development with the current happenings in IMO, he observed, “the current APR has been very ineffective, yet he is said to be a master mariner! For two consecutive years Nigeria has been unable to get back into the executive council of IMO. The last time Nigeria was in the council was during the tenure of William Azu, a maritime policy analyst and a diplomat per excellence. Nigeria must return to those glorious days.” Our findings, however, revealed that the office of the APR to the IMO is currently manned by two senior officers, Capt. Olugbade, who is the ARP (the High Commissioner) and another, Engr. Anas Suleiman, who is the Technical Adviser. Between 2002 and 2003, Engr. Olu Akinsoji from the Federal Ministry of Transport was the APR, while WILLIAM Azu from NIMASA as his deputy. Upon departure of Akinsoji, Azu took over as the APR and was later replaced by the incumbent. On the duties of the APR, MMS Plus Weekly gathered that the Permanent Representative(AP) is the High Commissioner, who is concurrently accredited to the IMO but because he must not have a maritime knowledge; has a wider audience and responsibilities ; too many diplomatic work to do and represents the Federal Government on a lot of things, and so will not have time to be attending the IMO meetings which comes almost every week, that is why there is the need for an APR, who is an alternate to the High Commissioner to IMO. So the person must be somebody who knows the dynamics of global maritime industry and must not be a captain, master mariner or marine engineer.

WILAT Urges Women To Bridge Gender Inequality Through Branding

June 29, 2015 0 924

The Women In Logistics And Transport (WILAT), has advised women to bridge the gender inequality gap through proper branding of their person and businesses. The National Woman Leader and member of the Board of Trustees of the All Progressive Congress …

Nigeria Domesticates IMO Laws

June 29, 2015 0 845

Nigeria has taken a major step towards concluding the process of domesticating five International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulatory instruments with the submission of the instruments of assent to five protocols of the IMO in London. This feat was achieved through …

Maritime Industry Neglected By Successive Governments- DG, NCS

June 29, 2015 0 1,072

The Director General, Nigeria Chamber of Shipping (NCS), Mrs. Ifeyinwa Akerele has asserted that the shipping industry has been grossly neglected by successive governments. She stated this during the quarterly two day training course organized by the Chamber, titled, the …

ECOWAS CET Does Not Exclude Import Levy- Customs

June 29, 2015 0 1,728

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has stressed that adoption of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET), does not mean that the old tariff plan is jettisoned. The Assistant Controller General of Nigeria Customs Service (NSC), ZONE A, Victor Gbemudu, stated …

APMT Blames Inefficiency On Customs Operation

June 23, 2015 0 1,517

AP Moller Terminals (APMT) Limited, Apapa , Lagos has blamed the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), for the recurring delay in cargo clearance, resulting to inefficiency in ports operations. Speaking during a courtesy call by some management staff of the Nigerian …

NLNG To Build Ship Yard Worth $1.5 Bln

June 23, 2015 0 751

The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG) is sponsoring the construction of the first major ship yard in Nigeria at the cost of $1.5 billion, in its attempt to turn the country into a hub for maritime operations on the …

FG Returns Cargo Tracking Note Without Tariffs

June 19, 2015 0 1,799

Shippers’ Council now in charge Stops illegal freight cost by shipping lines To ensure that Nigerian shippers are no longer short-changed by shipping lines and security of cargoes guaranteed, the Federal Government has re-introduced Cargo Tracking Note (CTN)to be managed …

Shippers Council Now Maritime Industry Apex Regulatory Body

June 19, 2015 0 1,386

To register all service providers, NPA inclusive. At last, the official gazette order appointing the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) as the interim Port Economic Regulator (PER)has been released by the Federal Government, even as the gazette regulatory scope has equally …

Court orders AMCON to pay Capital Oil and Gas N26bn

Court Adjourns Shippers’ Council VS STOAN Case To 2016

June 19, 2015 1 907

The Appeal Court in Lagos has again adjourned the appeal filed by the Sea Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), and the Association of Shipping Lines Agencies (ASLA) against the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to the 4th of February 2016 for …

Cancel ‘Multiple Entry’ For Foreign Airlines, Domestic Operators Ask FG

June 19, 2015 0 623

In a bid to stem huge capital flight by foreign airlines, domestic airline operators have asked the Federal Government to abolish the ‘multiple entry’ points granted foreign carriers flying into Nigeria, as such lopsided policy is injurious to the nation’s …

Security A Threat To Port Operations- GM Western Ports

June 19, 2015 0 957

The General Manager of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Western Ports Apapa, High Chief Kayode Michael Ajayi has expressed concern at the attacks on Terminal Operators by unwholesome elements through the waterfront due to lack of adequate security. The new GM …

CUSTOMS CG DENIES FAULTING STIPEND FOR YOUTHS

June 19, 2015 0 762

The Controller General (CG) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Dikko Inde Abdullahi has denied allegations of criticizing the plan by the Federal Government to pay a monthly stipend of N5,000 to unemployed Nigerian youths and insinuations that he kicked …

FG Tasks Stallion Group On 17% Local Content In Car Manufacturing

Stallion Group Targets 1.5m Tonnes Of Rice Production

June 17, 2015 0 1,094

One of Nigeria’s foremost conglomerates, the Stallion Group, has intensified efforts toward expanding its operations in the country’s fully integrated rice value chain. Stallion’s efforts to increase local rice production commenced as early as 2007 when the associated challenges were …

NIMASA Ridicules Nigeria With N18 million Global Debt

June 15, 2015 0 2,225

Kenya Lobbies for IMO’s Sec- General As the world maritime nations gear up for another International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Governing Council meeting in London, this November, 2015, Nigeria’s sagging image as a global debtor-nation may degenerate to a pariah status, …

Lamido, MD, NPA Tours Port

June 12, 2015 0 1,033

The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Ado Bayero recently undertook his first familiarization tour of the Lagos Ports Complex (LPC), Apapa during which he commended the foresight of successive managements of the Authority for embarking on …