Author Archives: daudupress

……..expresses hope of enhancing the sector.

The Minister of Transportation, Sen. Said Ahmed Alkali on Thursday, 14th December, 2023, defended a total budget of Forty Six Billion, Five Hundred and Eighty Nine  Million, Seven Hundred and Eighty Five Thousand, Nine Hundred and Seventy Five (N46,589,785,975) Naira only, to the Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives on Land Transport for the Ministry and its agencies for the 2024 fiscal year.                                  

According to a report by Gift Osima S.
CIO (Press & PR) signed by Olujimi Oyetomi
Director Press & PR, disclosed that Alkali, who made this known while speaking at the National Assembly during the budget defence, also presented the 2023 Budget Performance of the Ministry, which was N91,474,422,746)  for Capital _Appropriation_ , out of which N53,405,649,354.00 representing
58..38%  has been released, and  N47,426,760,923 has been utilized as of 29th November, 2023 .  

In addition, according to the Minister, the sum of N382,185,472 was appropriated for overhead expenditure, out of which N254,799,314,70 was released, adding that the sum of N248,711,874.15 of the released amount was expended as of 12th December, 2023.            

Alkali further informed the legislators that under the  Railway Modernization Programme, the last administration strindently pursued the expansion of railway networks in the country. “To consolidate on the achievements recorded therefore, President  Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s led Administration created the Ministry of Transportation, that focuses on only Land transportation, comprising of Road transport and  rail transportation to close the infrastructural gap in the country and support national economic growth, create employment, generate wealth and improve the standard of living of citizens.”

The Minister revealed plans to scale up transportation and logistics value chain that is commensurate with  Nigeria’s population and size.  He said that this would ensure the connection of important industrial and agricultural hubs with railway networks.”

Alkali who expressed a strong hope and willingness of enhancing the transportation system in the country by addressing critical needs of the country’s rail infrastructure and propel it towards a more efficient, valuable and sustainable transport system, thus ensuring the realization of vital rail modernization in the country, decried that funding is one of the  critical challenges in the sector.

“I and my team have resolved to work hard at ensuring the realization of Nigeria’s  Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan, however, meeting the set target is significantly challenged by funding gap especially the background of dwindling revenue accruing to the country. In the Railway Transport Sub- sector, an investment portfolio of close to US$35 Billion is estimated as the funding requirements to meet the realization of an adequate and functioning railway transportation system, ” the Minister revealed.

Speaking further, Sen. Said Alkali said “presently, the Ministry plans to connect close to 6,000 Kilometers of Standard Gauge Railways and rehabilitating existing 3,505km Narrow Gauge Lines between the North and South, East and West Regions of the country to reach the oil and mineral resources zones, agricultural belt as well as port of origin and destination especially the  Lekki Deep Sea Port. This, he said, can only be achieved effectively through investments and injecting institutional and private sector funds from the international development financing entities that will seize the  opportunity to gain partners for Nigeria. Getting these funds from the international to financing institutions has, however, been challenging over the past few years. For example, the ongoing Lagos – Kano and Kano – Maradi Railway Modernization Project and the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Port  Harcourt – Maiduguri Eastern Narrows gauge has been slowed by funding. “The Ministry also has some debt liability of unpaid Certificates for Job  Completion under the Lagos – Ibadan Railway Project,” Alkali added.     

While soliciting for favourable budget consideration, the Minister said, “I therefore seek your cooperation to ensure injection of special intervention funding for the expansion of the railway networks which is a catalyst to economic development. In pursuit of the rehabilitation and modernization programme, suitable capacity building programme by the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Zaria is focusing on the improvement of its basic infrastructure, increasing its research base and expansion of its training drive. To this end, the Institute is planning to acquire State of the Art equipment and complete the ongoing outreach learning centres in four (4) Geo-polutical zones of the country.”                 

Alkali seized the opportunity to further emphasize that the Ministry as part of its mandate has continued to pursue the implementation of government policies in the Land Transport Sub- sector in the country, including issues relating to the  Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for the realization of the transport interconnectivity for the sub-region.                 

Earlier, the Chairman, Joint Senate/House Committees on Land Transport, Sen. Mohammed  Adamu Aliero in his opening remarks, welcome all to the gathering, while commending  President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for  creating  the Ministry of Land Transport, comprising Railway and Mass Transit, saying it is the first time such is happening in the history of the country.

According to him, “Our nation’s progress is intricately tied to the efficiency and development of our transportation infrastructure, making this budget defence a pivotal moment for shaping the trajectory of our country’s future.”

Sen. Adamu Aliero, while giving the assurances that the Committees will support the Minister and the agencies to succeed, enjoined them to see to it that the budget that will be approved for the Ministry, is implemented faithfully, to deliver government’s intentions of the actualization of the President’s “Renewed Hope Agenda.” A renewed hope which must be felt in the area of land transport with particular focus on our rail transport sector and mass transit, thereby delivering democracy dividends to Nigerians.”

The Deputy Comptroller-General (DCG) of Nigeria Customs Service, Mohammed Abba-Kura said the organisation is leveraging on data analytics for secure and efficient trade facilitation in its operations and to ensure better global service delivery.

Abba-Kura who is in-charge of enforcement, investigations and inspections at the customs headquarters in Abuja, made this known to newsmen on Thursday at the ongoing Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC’s) Conference in Lagos.

He stated that data analytics and the new technologies were essential to the modernisation and efficient operations of the service, as it provides real-time information on planning, tracking, better revenue prediction and generation.

He stressed the relevance of the customs’ conference, which he said is an avenue for stakeholders to carryout an assessment of their performance and made necessary corrections that will lead to enhance service delivery.

The DCG also said that the customs service will continue to synergise with other organisations both within and outside the country to further boost its operations and forge partnerships.

He described the Customs Comptroller-General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi is a good listener, straight forward, innovative, team player and very passionate about the success of the service.

Abba-Kura therefore assured Nigerians and President Bola Tinubu that the new leadership at the customs service will not disappoint them in the discharge of their duties.

The CG Conference was resuscitate by the new Customs boss after eleven years suspensions by its previous management.

In that regard, Abba-Kura expressed gratitude to the Vice President Kashim Shettima, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, captain of industries and traditional rulers whose presence, he said boosted the morale of officers and men of the service.

Alutanews reports that, the Customs CG, while welcoming participants at the event, said the significance of technology in global customs operations cannot be overemphasised and hence the Nigeria Customs adaptation to global requisitions.

Adeniyi expressed optimism that the Theme of this year’s conference would provide guiding standards and principles in helping the Nigerian government open new frontiers in customs operations.

The CG also noted that, “it is requisite that the Customs Service streamline and integrate its services in its bid for global service delivery and meeting up international standards.”

In his goodwill message, the Director-General of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, commended the Nigerian Customs for working tirelessly to facilitate the adaptation of data analytics and e-customs operations.

…commits to prioritize modernization & rehabilitation of ports

By Emmanuel Daudu

The Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, H.E. Adegboyega Oyetola has presented a N10.9bn, 2024 budget for his Ministry to the joint House Committees of the Senate on Marine Transport and the House of Representatives Committees on Ports and Harbour, Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, Inland Waterways and Shipping services. 

According to a  report by Desmond Adyo (Senior Information Officer), signed by Olujimi Oyetomi, Director (Press & PR), the Minister, Adegboyega Oyetola, who made this known during his address to the joint House committees and the Senate at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.  He stated that the proposed budget is to enable the newly created Ministry performs its prime role of oversight and monitoring of the implementation of government policies across agencies under its purview in the marine and blue economy domain.

“You are aware that the 2024 budget is for economic growth, therefore, the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and its Agencies under the 2024 budget seek to consider and sustain on the achievements and performances recorded in the past years”, Oyetola outlined.

Speaking further, the Minister noted that the Ministry will place primacy on ports infrastructural development by way of modernization of the Apapa and Tin Can ports that are dilapidated and have almost reached end of life, while also having plans to rehabilitate the Eastern ports and equally dredging the inland and coastal waterways.

To realize these initiatives, Oyetola solicited the Committees to appropriate needed funds as proposed in the budget of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and the National Inland Waterways to facilitate the projects.

On the need for rehabilitation of the ports, the Minister stated that as part of the 2006 Act, enabling concessioning of the ports, the Federal Government still retains ownership of these ports and it behoves on them as landlords to continually ensure that the ports are best maintained and kept in optimal state to enable usage and interest from the concessionaires.

Other focal areas the Minister noted would include maritime administration, building human capacity while also harping on an effective technical and economic regulation that will all ultimately ensure the strengthening of the Blue Economy in Nigeria.

Presenting the Ministry’s budget accompanied with those of the Agencies supervised by the Ministry namely Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron and Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Oyetola informed the committee that the NPA, NIMASA and NSC are fully self-funding and also make reasonable remittances to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF/TSA).

The MAN, Oron, NIWA and the CRFFN derive their funding from the Federal Government’s budget and internally generated revenue.  He also made note of the CRFFN’s appropriation for 2023 which was erroneously removed and requested for the matter to be revisited.

Spokesperson for the joint House Committees and the Senate, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Sen. Wasiu Sanni, in his opening remarks welcome all to the gathering stated that the 2024 budget defence also encompasses performance review for 2023 which would provide adequate and further insight into propositions captured in the 2024 budget proposal.

He assured the Minister of the Heads of the NASS Committees’ commitment of necessary support needed by the maritime sector to perform optimally, as doing this translates to boosting remittances to the federation account and as well the overall gross domestic product (GDP) of the country.

Contributions from different committee members reflected their expectations of the new Ministry with emphasis on attracting more ship that call on our ports by way of draught level, seamless port clearance such as cargo scanners amongst others.
NASS members also shared unanimous views to support the Ministry on its drive to initiate the coastal guards, facilitate release of cabotage funds to aid indigenous shipping lines and others.