Category: Transport

Trade Facilitation: IMION Urges NPERA, Stakeholders to Boost Port Compliance

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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  

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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…

NDLEA Arrests Ex-Convict ‘Tea Merchant’ Behind Saudi Cocaine; Intercepts Drug Tanker in 9-State Blitz

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In a massive blow to transnational syndicates, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled a sophisticated cross-border narcotics network during a coordinated 9-state crackdown. The high-stakes sweep led to the arrest of a convicted cocaine trafficker posing as a herbal tea merchant, the interception of a 20,000-litre fuel tanker retrofitted with a hidden drug compartment, and the recovery of massive consignments of cannabis, tramadol, methamphetamine, and other psychotropic substances across Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba, and Enugu states. This major enforcement breakthrough was…

The Blue Alternative: How Prioritising Waterway Transport Can Save Lives and Billions

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“Nigeria Cannot Continue to Depend Almost Entirely on Roads for the Movement of People and Goods” In a decisive push to expand water transportation, enhance local commerce, and protect lives, the Commandant General of Riverine Security (Coast Guard of the Federation), Commander Bibi Oduku, has called on the Federal Government to urgently prioritize the modernization and protection of Nigeria’s waterways. Following specialized field monitoring assignments across various riverine communities, Commander Oduku emphasized that a secure and robust water transit network is a critical component of the country’s broader logistics, economic,…

MFON EKONG USORO: A Trailblazer in Law, Maritime Governance, leadership and National Development is occupying the spotlight today

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By: Dr. Ini Adiakpan Mfon is a distinguished legal practitioner, maritime and international trade expert, author, corporate leader and development strategist whose career has been defined by pioneering leadership, institutional reform and service to Nigeria and Africa. A woman of remarkable firsts, she was the pioneer Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and remains its first and only female Director-General. She later became the first and only female Secretary-General of the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control, an intergovernmental organisation…

Fufu Cocaine, N4.4bn Busts:101-Year-Old Grandma Nabbed in Massive NDLEA Sweeps

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In a series of high-stakes border and maritime crackdowns, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have smashed multiple syndicates nationwide. The sweeping operations yielded a staggering N4.4 billion haul of ‘Loud’ (a potent synthetic cannabis) at Lagos ports, the interception of cocaine hidden inside cassava flour (fufu), and the shocking arrest of a 101-year-old great-grandmother. According to a statement released on Sunday, August 23, 2026, by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, agency operatives intercepted the centenarian, Esther Ogunmabo, on Saturday, August 15, 2026, in…

IMION Opens Portal for 3-Day Executive Logistics and Blue Economy Training Programme

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…. Three-Day Capacity-Building Series Sets Industry Benchmark for Maritime Leaders and Supply Chain Stakeholders Across Nigeria The International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION) has officially opened its registration portal. This portal hosts the 3-Day Executive Training Programme. The initiative focuses on logistics and trade facilitation. It aims to drive sustainable blue economy growth. Maritime executives, government policymakers, other critical stakeholders, etc will gain advanced regional trade tools through this course. The training also empowers customs officers, private sector stakeholders, state governments, and supply chain professionals with critical industry skills. The…

NDLEA Smashes Intercontinental Ring: Seizes Mortar-Concealed Cocaine, Clears Frontlines, and Arrests Wanted Kingpins

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Relentless in its crackdown on drug barons, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled an international smuggling ring in Lagos. Acting on intelligence, the agency intercepted Europe and Asia-bound cocaine shipments bizarrely camouflaged inside a traditional mortar and the false bottom of a backpack before they could be processed by a local logistics company. According to a statement released on Sunday, August 2, by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy, the interceptions were executed on Thursday, July 30, 2026, by operatives of the Directorate of…

NDLEA Seizes N10bn Drugs, 401 Military Ammo in Palm Oil; Intercepts ‘Black Soup’ Tramadol, Arrests Kingpins Nationwide

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As the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intensifies its relentless crackdown on narcotics, operatives have arrested a 55-year-old Lagos businessman, Onuigbo Ndubisi Chinedu. The suspect, a prominent clothing trader at the popular Balogun Market on Lagos Island, was nabbed while attempting to export 3.30 kilograms of cocaine to the United Kingdom. In a desperate bid to evade detection, the illicit cargo was meticulously concealed within the false walls of cartons used for packaging foodstuffs. According to an official statement released on Sunday, July 26, by the NDLEA Director of…

Green Light for Green Line: LAMATA, AfDB Begin Funding Talks

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The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has officially kicked off an intensive appraisal process with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to secure critical funding for the mega Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Green Line project. This crucial financial audit follows a high-stakes stakeholder summit co-hosted by LAMATA and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI). According to an official statement released on Friday, the high-level engagement served as a formal launchpad for the AfDB appraisal mission to rigorously audit the massive rail project’s commercial readiness and overall viability. This rigorous…