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L-R: Chairman/CEO of Bomarah Investment Limited, Hajia Bola Muse; National Vice President of the Association of Nigeria Licenced Customs Agents (ANLCA), Dr. Collins Farinto; and National President of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Adewale Adeyanju at the event
The National Vice President of the Association of Nigeria Licenced Customs Agents (ANLCA), Dr. Collins Farinto, has called on the federal government to establish the federal ministry of Maritime, as a bold step forward to revamp the maritime industry in Nigeria.
Farinto, who made this call today at the 3rd Annual Conference/Awards of the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON), titled Seamless Port Operations in Nigeria, commended the acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Bello Koko Mohammed, for his efforts so far in clearing bottlenecks around the Lagos ports and its environs.
The National Vice President who represented the national President of the association, Chief Tony Iju, at the event, presented a paper on the Roles of Customs Brokers/Freight Forwarders in Seamless Port Operations in Nigeria.
In the paper he presented on behalf of the National President, it was noted that “there are a lot of factors militating against the maritime industry in Nigeria, including “Lack of infrastructure like scanners to speed up cargo examination by Customs and other Government Agencies.
“Numerous agencies of governments at the seaport carrying out similar functions. Perennial traffic gridlock hindering easy access to the seaport. Poor road network within the port vicinity”.
Others, according to him, are lack of functional railway system for immediate evacuation of containers out of the port, activities of miscreants within the port corridors, and corruption and sabotage in the system.
Presentations were also made by Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Overview of Crew, Cargoes and Vessels Security under the Deep Blue project and the Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC) on Achieving Seamless Port Operations through Customs Modernisation project.
In his welcome speech, the President of AMJON, Mr. Paul Ogbuokiri, said the “this year’s edition which is coming a year late was delayed by the outbreak of the Coronaviris (Covid-19) pandemic which interrupted all economic, social and cultural activities across the world.
“The Nigerian maritime industry, and by extension the maritime media was not spared; as aside the health of the humankind which came under very serious threat by Covid-19, the Transport and Logics chain industry was put on pause mode to save humanity from the rapid transmission of the highly contagious and deadly disease from person to person”.
The event also witnessed the presentation of awards to some deserving persons by AMJON. Some of those recognized include National President of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Adewale Adeyanju as Labour Leader of the year; Hajia Bola Muse; Dr. Collins Farinto; and Head of Lagos Office, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Sarah Braimoh among others.
