Moses Ofodeme
In collaboration with Roam Media Concept, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) held a one-day training workshop for maritime journalists at the Apapa Area Command on Friday, 1 November 2024.
The workshop, themed “Commercial Terms and Phrases in the Nigerian Maritime Industry,” aimed to update journalists on the latest industry terminology and best practices.
Declaring the workshop open, the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, represented by Comptroller Dera Nnadi, in charge of Tincan Island Area Command, emphasised the critical role of maritime journalists in educating the public and setting industry standards.
He stated, “The language of our industry must evolve in line with Customs operations, trade compliance, and international logistics. By aligning our skills, we strengthen both our efficiency and credibility, ensuring smoother trade facilitation that contributes to economic growth.”
Comptroller Nnadi highlighted the industry’s dynamic nature, stressing the need for journalists to stay updated with changing terms, procedures, and processes.
“When you report on the industry in a negative manner and do not represent current trends, you drive away investors, which will affect Nigeria’s Foreign Direct Investment and, consequently, customs operations. Therefore, we felt it is necessary not only to update the knowledge of those in the maritime industry but also to appreciate them for their consistency in reporting on the maritime sector, particularly Customs, over the years.”
Speaking on the recent technologies adopted by the NCS to facilitate trade, the host Area Controller, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, explained that Article 3 of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement mandates member states to provide Advance Ruling to interested importers, clarifying value, origin, and classification.
“Once this is provided before the arrival of the cargo in the country, it saves a lot of time that would have gone into dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s. This allows your cargo to arrive and be delivered almost immediately, thereby eliminating the issue of demurrage. This will further help in ensuring that inflationary tendencies attributable to these demurrages are completely eradicated,” Olomu explained.
The Chairman of the Workshop Planning Committee, Innocent Orok, encouraged maritime journalists to take ownership of the training initiative, making it a regular, institutionalised programme.
He extended gratitude to the CGC for approving the training and appreciated Comptroller Nnadi for conceiving the idea and contributing to the development of the Nigerian maritime space and the sector at large.
The workshop concluded with the presentation of plaques, recognition of veteran maritime journalists, and certificates to participants.