NPA – Page 2 – Shipping World News Magazine

Jan162018 by Asu BeksNo Comments

Nigeria Customs Service: Murtala Muhammed Airport Command Records N48 billion in 2017

Business, Maritime

The Murtala Muhammed Airport Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service generated a total of forty eight billion naira (N48b) as against a target of sixty nine billion (N69b), recording a shortfall of about twenty two billion (N22b) at the close of business in 2017. This figure represent 69 per cent of the target given for the preceding year. Alas, in the first two weeks of 2018, the command made impressive revenue of about one billion, one hundred and eighty eight million, five hundred and sixty thousand naira. Compared to year 2016 figure of fifty five billion naira, the 2017 figure records a shortfall of N7,464,805,321. According to the Customs Area Comptroller, Edede I. Emmanuel, the command made remarkable progress in revenue generation, trade facilitation and anti- smuggling a...

Jan112018 by Asu BeksNo Comments

Mad rush for deep seaports: Where are the cargoes?

Opinion

In March 2006, the nation's seaports were concessioned to private Terminal Operators after a bidding process that saw the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) letting go of its traditional cargo handling functions to become the port landlord. In the last 12 years, the privatisation programme in the ports sector has been credited with taking our yearly cargo throughput from 35 million TEUs to about 80 million, leading to unprecedented challenges at the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports. In the intervening years, there has been a gradual shift by governments and investors to invest in deep seaports in the country. This is to further broaden the shipping horizon so that bigger vessels can call at our ports with economies of scale. By definition, a deep seaport is one that has the capability to acco...

Dec152017 by Asu BeksNo Comments

How half-baked administrators are killing the maritime industry

Business, Opinion

The maritime industry in Nigeria contributes about 90% by volume of the goods that come into the country and by value, it is the third largest contributor to our nation's coffers after the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Nigeria Customs Service. Since the early 70s, government has invested heavily in marine infrastructure in the sector to bring about port efficiency and high productivity. At a point in our nation's history, there was need to build a brand new port and government set about building the Tin Can Island Port in 1977 to take care of the cement armada of the late 70s. The agencies in the sector which are funded by government include the NPA, the Nigerian Shippers Council, the Nigerian Maritime Administration & Safety Agency and the National Inland Waterway...

Nov222017 by Asu BeksNo Comments

NPA: Port reform without road reform

Business, Port News

by Sylvanus Ekpo These are not the best of times for the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA. It is no longer news that the port access roads at Apapa and Tin Can Island ports are in a terrible state of disrepair. According to the Port Act of 1954 as amended, section 32 mandates the NPA to regulate traffic that is moving in and the one which is approaching but over the years, due to executive recklessness, the access roads were allowed to decay and today they have become an embarrassment to everybody, a congenital eyesore in the face of our port concession. Before the ports were concessioned in 2006 to private terminal operators by government, the NPA had a yearly throughput of 35million tons of cargo, a figure that could hardly be managed then. But, after the concession in March 2006, the...

Oct272017 by Asu BeksNo Comments

NPA to Partner Women in ANLCA on Port Operation, Says Usman

Business, Port News

The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala Usman has said that as a strong believer in partnership and collaboration, she will tap into the knowledge and experience of Women in ANLCA (Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents) which will guide the Authority in making policy decisions on Ports Operation. Hadiza Bala Usman made this assertion while receiving a delegation of Women in ANLCA led by its Governor, Hajia Bola Muse who paid her a courtesy call in her office in Marina, Lagos Thursday . She continued; “I would like to say that in Nigerian Ports Authority, we believe in partnership and collaboration, we believe that there is a need for the Authority to reach out to critical Stakeholders and partner with them in any way we can, We understand and appreciate ...

Oct242017 by Asu BeksNo Comments

Asu Beks to Chubuike Amaechi, you lied on N250m approval limit for MAN, Oron

Education

Foremost maritime journalist and Publisher of Shipping World Magazine, Elder Asu Beks has challenged Transportation Minister, Chibuike Amaechi to come out clean with facts and figures that the management of the Maritime Academy of Nigerian (MAN), Oron not only squandered N19b but also abused their N250m approval limit. Amaechi had disclosed during a radio program, Political Platform, monitored in Abuja that the out-gone management mismanaged huge sums disbursed to it while justifying the appointment of a 6-man Committee headed by the Chief Adebayo Sarumi to oversee the institution for six months . The Minister had claimed on the Radio program monitored on Tuesday that there was nothing on ground at Oron to justify the huge funds made available to the institution. Asu Beks challenged the...

Oct222017 by Asu BeksNo Comments

INTELS free to re apply for cancelled contract … NPA

Port News

There are strong indications that INTELS Nig Ltd might be given yet another opportunity to bid for the lucrative pilotage contract cancelled last week by the Hadiza Usman led management of the Nigerian Ports Authority. Shipping World has learnt on good authority that INTELS bid , like others, would be considered on its merit after a thorough appraisal of all bids. Nigerian Ports Authority General Manager Corporate Communication and Strategy , Mr Abdullahi Goje , who confirmed this development exclusively to Shipping World however maintained that no special concession would be given to the Logistics giants. Said Goje in an SMS: ' It is a whole process which has to be discussed and addressed by management '. Ms Hadiza NPA's helmswoman, had over the week end responded to claims that IN...

Oct212017 by Asu BeksNo Comments

NPA acquires modern equipment to tackle environmental pollution

Business, Port News

The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman has unveiled modern pollution and environmental equipment namely Drones, Jet skis and Booms for surveillance, monitoring and containing oil spillages. Others are Blowers, Pressure Washers, Skimmers, Power Pack Absorbers and Multiple Dispersant Sprays. Speaking during the event, the Managing Director urged the officer and staff in charge of the equipment to put them into optimal use to the appreciation of the stakeholders whilst bringing to the fore that the government was interested in ensuring the effective compliance and sustenance of the Ease of Doing Business at the Ports. She therefore postulated that matters concerning the occupational health of the officers and staff of the Authority was constantly paid...

Oct212017 by Asu BeksNo Comments

Usman pledges to facilitate ease of doing business at seaports

Business, Port News

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman has assured the business community in Nigeria that the authority has put in place appropriate measures that would enable it facilitate business activities at the nation’s Seaports. Usman gave this assurance while delivering a keynote address at a one day sensitization workshop put together by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and NPA held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos Friday. According to her; “It will interest you to know that even before the Executive Orders were signed into Law by the Federal Government, the authority had put in place measures aimed at attracting investments into the maritime sub-sector of the nation’s economy”. The Managing Director who was represe...

Oct202017 by Asu BeksNo Comments

TAX HOLIDAY: NIMASA Appeals Against Enforcing Judgment

Business, Law

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has appealed the judgment of the Federal High Court Lagos in the matter between Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Attorney General of the Federation, Global West Vessels Specialists Ltd and NIMASA. The Agency filed the appeal with an application to stay the execution of the judgment and restrain NLNG, pending the determination of the appeal. The appeal and stay was filed even before receiving the Certified True Copy of the judgment 14 days after the judgment was delivered in line with legal provisions. This proactive step of the Agency was taken to forestall any negative action, yet the NLNG ignored this court action and commenced a media trial. In the grounds of Appeal by NIMASA’s legal team, the Agency complained ...