Business

18 Aug

USCG Lifts 12-Year Condition of Entry on Nigerian Ports, Hailing Nigeria’s Maritime Security Gains

Esther KomolafeBusiness
Abuja, Nigeria | August 2026 Relief has come to Nigeria’s shipping industry as the United States Coast Guard, USCG, has lifted the 12-year Condition of Entry, CoE, imposed on vessels arriving in the United States after calling at Nigerian ports. The landmark decision, announced by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, ends more than a decade of enhanced security requirements for vessels trading between Nigeria and the U.S. *End of 12 Years of Enhanced Scrutiny* The CoE came into effect on June 25, 2014. It required vessels destined for the U.S. that had called at designated Nigerian…
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18 Aug

If NIWA, Parts Central Walk Away: Lagos Waterways Risk Deeper Pollution, Accidents and Economic Losses

Esther KomolafeBusiness
Lagos, Nigeria | August 18, 2026 The National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, and indigenous firm Parts Central Ltd. on Tuesday launched a 10-year Clean-Up deal to tackle pollution on Nigeria’s inland waterways. But stakeholders warn that failure to honour the agreement could leave the waterways in a worse state, with direct consequences for safety, livelihoods and the blue economy. The deal, unveiled in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, commits both parties to a structured waste-management system covering waterfronts, landing points, jetties and other strategic locations. It targets plastics, human waste, refuse and other pollutants choking the waterways. *What’s at Stake If…
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17 Aug

Customs Nabs 399 Pump-Action Rifles at Tin-Can, Hands Over Arms to NCCSALW as Two Suspects Face Trial

Esther KomolafeBusiness
Tin-Can Island Port, Lagos | August 17, 2026 The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has intercepted 399 fully assembled JOJEF pump-action rifles and firearm components at Tin-Can Island Port, Lagos, and handed them over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, NCCSALW. The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Monday during the handover ceremony. He also confirmed the arrest of two suspects linked to the shipment. *Intelligence-Driven Bust Stops Arms Trafficking* According to the CGC, the container carrying the weapons arrived on July 8 aboard vessel MV VELIKA. It was flagged by…
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17 Aug

MARAN Taps Hadiza Bala Usman for Keynote as Maritime Stakeholders Rally for Port Modernisation at MAMAL 2026

Esther KomolafeBusiness
Lagos, Nigeria | August 2026 The Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria, MARAN, has announced former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman, as the keynote speaker for its 2026 Maritime Annual Maritime Lecture, MAMAL. The flagship industry forum will hold on *Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.* at the Nigerian Air Force Event Centre, 1 Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. MARAN noted this is a change from the earlier announced venue. *Port Modernisation and Competitiveness in Focus* With the theme _“Nigerian Ports Modernisation, Charges and the Competitiveness Question,”_ MAMAL 2026 will convene government…
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15 Aug

PTML Customs Applauded for Leadership Drive as Command Trains Senior Officers on Excellence, Teamwork

Esther KomolafeBusiness
PTML, Lagos | August 11, 2026 The Port & Terminal Multiservices Limited, PTML, Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has been commended for investing in its workforce after it successfully organised a Leadership Seminar to strengthen capacity, professionalism and teamwork among senior officers. The seminar, held on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at the Conference Hall of PTML Command, aligns with the vision of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, to build a more efficient, motivated and service-oriented workforce. *Leadership as Key to Service Delivery* Declaring the seminar open, the Acting Area Controller, DC Nura Ibrahim Miko,…
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15 Aug

Apapa Customs Smashes Record With ₦323 Billion July Revenue as Oshoba Hails Reforms, Forex Stability and Trade Ease

Esther KomolafeBusiness
Apapa, Lagos | August 11, 2026 The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Apapa Area Command, has recorded its highest monthly revenue ever, raking in ₦323 billion in July 2026. The feat marks a new milestone for the nation’s busiest port and builds on the ₦304 billion record the Command set in October 2025 under the leadership of Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba. *Reforms and Policy Drive Record Performance* Speaking during the Command’s monthly meeting with Deputy Comptrollers of Terminals and Unit Heads on Tuesday, Comptroller Oshoba attributed the breakthrough to policy support, operational reforms, and improved trader compliance. He commended…
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11 Aug

FOU ‘A’ Crushes N3.24bn Smuggling Network, Rakes In N729m, Seizes Drugs, Rice, Ivory in Lagos Raids

Esther KomolafeBusiness
Ikeja, Lagos | August 10, 2026 The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’, Ikeja-Lagos, has dismantled a massive smuggling ring, intercepting 220 consignments worth ₦3.24 billion in Duty Paid Value and recovering ₦728.98 million in lost government revenue. The Comptroller of FOU ‘A’, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, disclosed this on Sunday, describing the operation as one of the Unit’s largest intelligence-led busts this year. *Massive Seizures Across Contraband Lines* According to the Unit, the intercepted goods had a total DPV of ₦3,237,132,640. The revenue recovery of ₦728,976,725.03 came from enforcement against under-declaration, false declarations and other customs fraud. Major…
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11 Aug

Seme Customs Blocks ₦365m Contraband, Seizes Expired Noodles, Explosives, Cannabis in Major Border Sweep

Esther KomolafeBusiness
Seme Border, Badagry | August 11, 2026 The Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Command, has intercepted contraband worth ₦365,163,709 including expired noodles, cannabis, explosives and smuggled vehicles, as it ramps up enforcement to protect public health and national security. The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Abdullahi Shuaibu Kaila, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing at the Seme Command in Badagry, Lagos State. *Public Health Saved: 1,306 Sacks of Decomposing Noodles Seized* Kaila said officers intercepted a truck falsely declared as carrying food items. Upon examination, they found 1,306 sacks of expired and waste noodles weighing 50kg each. "Many of…
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07 Aug

Enough is Enough”: Dr. Bature Decries Plateau North Insecurity, Pledges Jobs, Equity and Security Drive

Esther KomolafeBusiness
Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, Senatorial Candidate for Plateau North, Dr. Jonathan Musa Bature, has declared that the era of neglect and insecurity in the zone must end, vowing to make security, job creation and equity the centerpiece of his representation if elected. In an interview with _New Experience Newspaper_, Bature said the killings, kidnappings and weak leadership plaguing Plateau North compelled him to answer what he described as a "divine call to rescue" the people. *"I Have Witnessed Their Pain"* Bature said his decision to contest was born out of firsthand experience of the suffering in Bassa, Barkin Ladi, Riyom…
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07 Aug

Customs Acts Swiftly: Tin Can Port Command Seizes Rifles, ₦373.8m Cannabis in Coordinated Bust

Esther KomolafeBusiness
The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has recorded major seizures at the Tin Can Island Port Command, intercepting components used to assemble 140 pump-action rifles and two 40-foot containers of cannabis-infused products valued at ₦373,802,640. Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed the interceptions during a press briefing, describing the operations as proof of the Service’s commitment to prompt enforcement and border security. According to the CGC, Container No. TEMU 184536/9, which arrived aboard MV VELIKA on July 8, 2026, was flagged by Customs’ risk management system. Following surveillance and physical examination, officers uncovered concealed crates containing JoJeff pump-action rifle parts.…
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