In an unwavering campaign to dismantle illicit drug import and export networks across Nigeria’s borders, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has concluded a specialized refresher training course for its Canine Unit. Facilitated by two premier German technical dog-handling experts, the intensive program was designed to sharpen the operational instincts and narcotics-detection capabilities of both handlers and their service dogs. According to an official statement released on Saturday, September 19, by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the training took place at the NDLEA Canine Unit…
Category: International
No Soft Landing: Court Jails South African Woman 25 Years for 5.75kg Heroin Importation
*….Marwa hails landmark conviction as a crushing blow to international drug cartels, reinforcing the judiciary’s unyielding alliance with the NDLEA.* In another major breakthrough for Nigeria’s anti-narcotics war, the Federal High Court in Abuja has handed down sentences totaling 40 years to a 38-year-old South African national, Ms. Will Jessica Ann, who will serve an effective 25 years in prison for smuggling 5.75 kilograms of heroin into the country. The development was confirmed in a statement released on Thursday, September 17, 2026, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)…
MARCON Hails IMION as ‘Centre of Excellence,’ Seeks Blue Economy Ties
The Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON) has described the International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION) as “one of Nigeria’s Centres of Excellence in terms of knowledge-driven development on the Blue Economy.” The declaration was made on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, during a courtesy visit to the Institute by the MARCON Executive Team, led by its National President, Mr. Ismail Aniemu. According to Aniemu, the visit was aimed at establishing a strategic collaboration centered on maritime knowledge sharing, stakeholder engagement, and initiatives to advance Nigeria’s blue economy while opening developmental…
CILT seeks practical, integrated pathways for Nigeria’s logistics system, infrastructure
The Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics (CILT) Nigeria has called for an integrated system and logistics infrastructure in which road, rail, aviation, maritime transport, inland waterways, ports, terminals and logistics hubs, among others, reinforce one another for better opportunities. Aligned with this, the institute stressed that Nigeria also needs “infrastructure that can withstand climate risks, institutions that coordinate effectively, technology that improves visibility and accountability, and a skilled workforce that can manage a rapidly changing industry.” Billed to hold from Wednesday, October 21, to Friday, October 23, 2026, at…
Blue Economy: Udofia Charges IMION Graduates to Drive Logistics Overhaul
The International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION) has wrapped up a high-level, three-day executive course aimed at equipping critical stakeholders with the tools to overhaul Nigeria’s maritime logistics and unlock the vast potentials of the Blue Economy. Held under the theme “Logistics and Trade Facilitation for Blue Economy Growth: Transforming Nigeria’s Blue Economy Through Smart Logistics, Trade Facilitation and Sustainable Growth,” the intense capacity-building session ran from September 7 to September 9, 2026. To institutionalise this knowledge, the Institute has entered strategic partnerships including an ongoing engagement with the Admiralty…
No Hiding Place: NDLEA Nabs Fugitive Festus Ibewuike Over 49.7kg Heroin as Marwa Vows to Hunt All Suspects
In line with Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa’s (Rtd) uncompromising stance that drug barons can only run but never hide, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully orchestrated the arrest and repatriation of Festus Ibewuike (alias Chidibest Ibewuike). The fugitive drug kingpin had evaded law enforcement for over two years following the interception of the single largest heroin consignment ever recorded at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. Ibewuike, who fled to Mozambique and operated a hotel business as a front, was one of three suspects…
Trade Facilitation: IMION Urges NPERA, Stakeholders to Boost Port Compliance
Maritime and logistics experts have called on the newly established Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) to champion the implementation of a single-window port system. This mechanism, featuring full ecosystem visibility across all trade nodes, is projected to secure robust regulatory control and seamless trade facilitation The call was made in Lagos during the three-day Executive Course on Logistics and Trade Facilitation for Blue Economy Growth, hosted by the International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION). Addressing stakeholders, the Director-General of the African Centre for Supply Chain Management, Dr. Obiora Madu,…
Blue Economy: IMION, Experts Urge Regulators to Overhaul Logistics Efficiency
Without efficient logistics, the full potential of the blue economy remains trapped at the coastline, impacting the movement of goods and services across the maritime environment, the Director-General, International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION), Rear Admiral Thaddeus Udofia (rtd), has said. Speaking on Monday at the IMION Auditorium, NNS Quorra in Apapa, Lagos, Rear Admiral Thaddeus Udofia (rtd) declared open a three-day executive training on “Logistics and Trade Facilitation for Blue Economy Growth.” Addressing stakeholders, the IMION Director-General described logistics as “the backbone of the maritime industry,” emphasizing that it…
NPERA’s Dr. Pius Akutah Bags Prestigious Sustainability Award in UK
In a global recognition of regulatory excellence, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA), Dr. Pius Akutah, MON, has bagged the prestigious Sustainability Award for Investment and Economic Development. The honour was conferred on Dr. Akutah at the high-level Nigeria Conversation on Trade and Investment London 2026, a premium dialogue curated by the Royal Commonwealth Society (Nigerian Branch) to celebrate his impactful footprints in investment promotion and national economic growth. This international accolade comes at a defining moment, closely following President Bola Ahmed…
Box-Count Rebound: Suez Canal Eyes Panama Pact as Maritime Traffic Surges
Container ship crossings through the Suez Canal are gaining serious momentum, confirmed Admiral Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority. Industry trackers indicate that major ocean carriers are progressively restoring their scheduled services along this strategic shortcut, pivoting away from the lengthy and costly alternative route around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. This pivotal update was delivered on Sunday during a diplomatic summit at the SCA’s iconic Guidance Building in Ismailia, where Rabie met with Ahmed Fawzy El-Sherif, Egypt’s ambassador to Panama, to map out closer coordination between the…