As Compt Dera Nnadi, mni, Receives DMP Plaque of Honour

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, CGC, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MON, has further demonstrated his passion and commitment to national development by training and empowering Maritime Journalists with working tools/gadgets to enhance their productivity.

The training which was aimed to educate and enlighten media men on the operating environment of the Customs, had as  theme “Commercial Terms and Phrases in the Nigerian Maritime Industry ” also had the Mediterranean Shipping Company (,MSC) as co trainers in partnership with the NSC as modern working tools such as ipads were given to participants at the training to improve their efficiency.

The CGC who was ably represented by Comptroller Dera Nnadi, CAC Tin can Island Port Command, said that the training will assist the media in updating their knowledge about the industry, and update their knowledge on Customs terminologies.

The CGC called on participants to take full advantage of the training by being focussed, avoid distractions to maximize the objectives of the training by the Service.

In his goodwill message,  the Controller of Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu thanked the CGC for the opportuning provided by the training to interact and engage with the media on issues affecting international trade.

In his paper presentation, the Deputy Managing Director of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), Mr. Jacob Iosso disclosed that MSC tops liners with most Nigerian exports and the company handles Over 40,000 TEUs Nigerian agricultural produces to other part of the world in the last 10 months.

He said the figures could have risen higher if not for the natural disasters which ravaged  parts of the country adding that the volume of goods which the company handled in 2024 surpassed that of 2023.

“In the past 12 months ,we have shipped out over 40,000 TEUs  made up of  Soya Beans, Sesame seeds, Cocoa and other crops”, Iosso said

In his welcome address, the workshop planning committee chairman, Mr. Innocent Orok , said that a lot have evolves in the maritime sector, most especially new technologies and ICT based services which the media must be abreast with to properly educate, inform and set agendas for the industry.

Orok hinted that it is pertinent to note that maritime journalists deserves training and empowerment, adding not that, journalism practice is for the good of the society.

In his words ”This is just the first phase , as every practicing journalists will benefit from the subsequent editions. Let me state here that the intention of the initiator of this noble idea is for us the maritime journalists to take it, own it and institutionalized it as a yearly , twice yearly or quarterly training workshop.

“The template has been set by a man who grew in ranks through the media, he loves the media and always working to see that Maritime Journalists whom he is part of moves to d next level”.

Giving an insight to what prompted the training workshop, Orok said: “On Sunday August 10, 2024, Comptroller Dera Nnadi posted a story link published in Saturday Vanguard by a Reporter from Awka, Anambra State with the headline “Challenges in Ports: Ezeibe points way out for Customs” in the Maritime Elders Whatsapp Platform.

“The story carries the picture of the Comptroller General of Customs , Bashir Adewale Adeniyi. The summary of the story was that Customs causes delays in the clearance process to extort money and the delays leads to demurrage, which add to the cost of goods in the Nigerian markets.

“Beneath the story link, Comptroller Dera Nnadi wrote ” See why we must leave maritime reporting for maritime media personnel”.

“Comptroller Nnadi’s position was that the issue the journalist was writing about has been addressed 20 years ago, with various Customs trade facilitation/ ICT tools like Pre- Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR), Asycuda, NICIS and now B’ Odogwu which are all trade facilitation tools put in place by the Customs to fast tract clearance of goods from the ports.

“In a sharp response, I reacted by saying because journalists are not trained that is why they are reporting backward trends.

In his usual character, Comptroller Dera Nnadi responded ” Innocent man, I nominate you Chairman of capacity building for the media for a One day workshop on “Commercial Terms and Phrases in the Nigeria Maritime Industry.
We can get donors to sponsor it.

“Ladies and gentlemen that is why we are gathered here and I, standing before you today. “Though, it has not been easy to put this event together due to the hash economic realities of our polity, but is worth it.

“Dear colleagues, it is pertinent to note that Maritime Journalists deserves training and Empowerment, not minding who initiate or champion it”, Orok said.

The high point of the training workshop was the presentation of appreciation/recognition Plaques to sponsors and veteran maritime journalists who have served and continue to serve the industry.

The training has the CAC of the Tin Can Command, Compt Dera Nnadi, mni, dmp as initiator, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, Phd as Co-Initiator and the MSC as financiers and other stakeholders as supporters as well.

Kelvin Kagbare presenting Maritime Nigeria’s Symbolic Plaque of Honour to Compt. Dera nnadi, min, dmp.

Comptroller Dera Nnadi as friend of the media was decorated and crowned as a Distinguished Maritime Personality, DMP, by Mr. Kelvin Kagbare alongside other medial colleagues, on the sidelines of the training held at the conference/training room of the Apapa Area Command.