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Maritime Guru Seeks Global Recognition of Nigeria’s Seafarers

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A maritime expert, Capt Konni Duniya, says that the global recognition of seafarers in Nigeria’s Maritime sector are in the hands of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, and the NIMASA.

Capt Duniya spoke  during the 2024 Lecture Series of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, titled: ‘Addressing Human and Institutional Capacity Development in Nigeria’s Maritime Sector Through Stakeholders Partnership.’

She called on the Federal Government to organise frequent 
training for existing seafarers and develop capacity building programs for incoming  ones with  the use of  emerging trends and technologies.

“Nigeria has been on the IMO STCW white list since 2019;  however, Nigerian seaferers are yet to benefit from this achievement due to the inability of Nigeria to sign MOU with the most respected countries like UK, Australia and most of Europe.

Signing MOU with such countries will help strengthen our image as a serious maritime nation and open doors for employment of Nigerian seafarers globally.  

‘Nigeria is the only country with unemployed seafarers in the world despite the cabotage law which seems to have been poorly implemented,” she said.

She expressed concern that the country will suffer huge shortage of adequate and competent seafarers in the coming years if the manpower Gap created as a result of war, retirement and disruptions in the sector is not urgently addressed. 

Capt Duniya, an alumna of the premier maritime institution, also blame the domination of Nigeria’s Maritime sector by seafarers of foreign countries, issuance of fraudulent Certificate of Competency CoC, lack of database to validate cadet’s education, training and experience.  

She also identified non-compliance with STCW Convention of International Maritime Organization as one of the major factors and  limitations causing low employment opportunities for Nigerian seafarers.

“There needs to for  proper housekeeping in NIMASA to combat issues of seatime and licence forgery through the use of block chain and cloud computing.

 There is the need for Nigeria to market her seafarers to the global market alongside the signing of MOU like Ghana, South Africa and other countries are doing.

Nigeria seafarers are left to their fate battling poor wages , welfare and living conditions within Nigerian waters while alternatively accepting lower positions outside Nigerian waters which does not give room for consistent career growth,” she said 

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Nigeria’s economy grows 3.7% in H1- Stanbic IBTC report

Muyiwa Oni, Head of Equity Research, West Africa at Stanbic IBTC Bank, said that the estimated 3.7 percent year-on-year GDP growth aligns with expectations for annual growth of 3.5 percent.

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• President Bola Tinubu

The Nigerian economy grew by 3.7 percent in the first half of 2025, driven by improved business conditions and increased oil production.

This was revealed in the Stanbic IBTC Bank Nigeria Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) report compiled by S&P Global and released on Tuesday.

Earlier, the World Bank estimated that Nigeria’s economy would grow by 3.6 percent in 2025, higher than the 3.4 percent recorded in 2024, despite shifts in global trade dynamics.

This projection is lower than the Central Bank of Nigeria’s estimate of 4.17 percent and the ambitious 5.5 percent GDP growth forecasted by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group in January.

Muyiwa Oni, Head of Equity Research, West Africa at Stanbic IBTC Bank, said that the estimated 3.7 percent year-on-year GDP growth aligns with expectations for annual growth of 3.5 percent.

He said, “Insights from the monthly PMIs and crude oil production data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission suggest an economy that grew by an estimated 3.7 per cent y/y in H1 2025, supported by higher crude oil production and improved growth in manufacturing and services, while agriculture continues to lag its long-term average growth rate of 3.6 per cent.”

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Lagos Declares Manufacturing, Selling, Distributing single-use Plastics a Crime

Wahab called on the public, particularly business owners, food vendors, and market traders, to cooperate with the government to ensure a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable Lagos.

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• Tokunbo Wahab

The Lagos State Government has announced the commencement of full enforcement of the ban on the use and distribution of Single-Use Plastics (SUPs) across the state, effective July 1, 2025.

Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, made the announcement on Tuesday during a media briefing held at Alausa, Ikeja.

He emphasized that offenders will be prosecuted in line with the State’s Environmental Laws.

Wahab stated that the decision to enforce the ban follows an 18-month transition period granted to residents, manufacturers, and vendors to adjust and adopt more sustainable alternatives.

“The decision to ban Single-Use Plastics in Lagos was not arbitrary. It was an existential one, influenced by multiple factors,” he said.

Wahab explained that Lagos, a coastal city situated below sea level with the smallest land mass in the country—just 3,575 square kilometers—houses about 10 percent of Nigeria’s population.

“That alone is a recipe for environmental crisis. We did not just wake up whimsically and choose to ban styrofoam food packs in 2024.

We had always stated that within the next 12 months, all single-use plastics would follow.

Now, nearly 18 months later, we believe ample time has been given for all to transition. Enforcement starts July 1, and heavens will not fall.

Banned Items and Reasons

Styrofoam Packs: Banned due to their non-biodegradable nature and harmful environmental impact.

Plastic Straws: Prohibited to reduce plastic waste and promote eco-friendly alternatives.

Disposable Plastic Cups and Cutleries: Banned to curb single-use plastic pollution.

Lightweight Nylon Bags: Outlawed because they are not reusable or biodegradable, contributing significantly to environmental degradation.

Wahab called on the public, particularly business owners, food vendors, and market traders, to cooperate with the government to ensure a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable Lagos.

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BREAKING: Dangote refinery Reduces petrol price from N880 to N840 per litre

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….New rate takes effect from June 30.

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has reduced the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, from N880 to N840 per litre.

Anthony Chiejina, the Spokesman for the Dangote Group, confirmed the price adjustment on Monday night.

Chiejina said the new rate took effect on June 30.

He said, “PMS price has been reduced from N880 to N840 per litre effective 30th June,.

Recall that Dangote refinery hiked the price of petrol to N880 as tension escalated during the 12-day crisis between Israel and Iran, raising the price of crude oil to almost $80 per barrel.

Also, marketers anticipated that there would be a new price regime from Monday.

Dangote’s partners like MRS, Heyden and AP are expected to adjust their pump prices soon.

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