Daily Focus Nigeria

30/07/2025

In a dramatic turn of events shaking the Nigerian marine ecosystem, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), led by the fiery Comrade Francis Bunu Abi, this Sunday descended on Melsmore Marine Nigeria Limited’s Lagos facility with a powerful message: enough is enough!



After months of simmering tension and a bitter clash over the company’s refusal to release crucial workers' pension records and Collective Bargaining Agreements, MWUN is flexing its muscle , launching an all-out campaign to unionize Melsmore’s seafarers and smash decades of neglect and injustice.



Industry insiders reveal that countless seafarers have long suffered in silence, enduring hazardous working conditions, paltry pay, and utter disregard for their health and safety onboard ships and brutal working environments at sea , a brutal reality the maritime powers hoped to keep hidden.



But Comrade Bunu, a veteran sailor-turned-labour warrior, has drawn a red line.

  In a dramatic turn of events shaking the Nigerian marine ecosystem, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), led by the fiery Comrade Francis Bun

23/07/2025

The Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) is set to sanction shipping lines that fail to comply with the new Bank of Ghana (BoG) foreign exchange (forex) pricing directives effective July 22, 2025.

This follows concerns over shipping lines arbitrarily applying forex rates that differ from the official benchmarks, leading to unfair costs for importers and freight forwarders at Ghanaian ports.



The GSA, headed by CEO Prof. Ransford Gyampo, lodged complaints from industry stakeholders regarding non-transparent and inconsistent forex charges by shipping lines. After investigating, the GSA referred the culprits to the BoG for regulatory intervention.

The BoG , he stated responded with new guidelines mandating all shipping operators in Ghana to publish daily exchange rates for invoicing that must reflect commercial bank rates benchmarked against the Bank’s interbank exchange rate.

The Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) is set to sanction shipping lines that fail to comply with the new Bank of Ghana (BoG) foreign exchange (forex) pricing direc

14/07/2025

The search for seafarers from the bulker Eternity C attacked and sunk by the Houthi in the Red Sea last week has been called off.



The Liberian-flagged bulker Eternity C with a crew of 22 and three security guards was attacked and sunk by the Houthi last week.

The Houthi attacked Eternity C with unmanned surface vessels and six cruise and ballistic missiles on July 7, disabling the ship. The attack was renewed on July 8 with skiffs surrounding the ship, according to a UKMTO report. The ship sank on July 9 and the event was captured on video by the Houthi.

Of the 25 people onboard 10 were rescued including two of the security guards, and eight Filipino crew members. Four are believed to have been killed during the attack on the vessel, while a further 11 are missing. The Houthi say they rescued an unknown number of the crew who it says have been taken to a secure location.

Reuters reported on Sunday that the search for the remaining missing crew members has now been called off.

  The search for seafarers from the bulker Eternity C attacked and sunk by the Houthi in the Red Sea last week has been called off.   The Lib

14/07/2025

After a successful delivery of the Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Training in December, 2024, Tincan Island Container Terminal has scaled up its lean journey with the Green Belt Training for team members spanning broadly across functions and departments.



The Lean Six Sigma Green Belt -LSSGB training, a key step within the Lean Six Sigma framework, is designed to equip individuals with the skills to Identify, Scope, Participate and lead Continuous Improvement projects. It focuses not just on the DMAIC cycle (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) methodology; rather it brings in all the Lean principles of Value identification with a target to eliminate waste.

These two methodologies combined are a robust and structured approach to problem-solving and process optimization. The Training session encapsulated a lot of class exercises to ensure not just participation but a solid understanding of the techniques in a simulated set-up related to real day-to-day Terminal challenges.

After a successful delivery of the Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Training in December, 2024, Tincan Island Container Terminal has scaled up its lean journey with t

12/07/2025

By Roland Ekama



The Port and Terminal Management Academy of Nigeria (POTEMAN), in collaboration with Highstone Global University, Texas, USA, honoured distinguished personalities in the maritime sector at its maiden international award ceremony held on Friday, July 11, 2025.

The event recognized notable players from both the public and private sectors for their outstanding contributions to capacity building and sustainability in the maritime industry. The honourees were selected for their unwavering support and dedication to advancing the goals of POTEMAN over the years.



A total of 31 distinguished individuals were celebrated for their roles in the success stories of POTEMAN. Award recipients included:

Aare Hakeem Olarenwaju – Managing Director, Talod OceanAir Limited

Oliver Omajuwa – Assistant Director, Sifax Group

Chief Mrs. Atoloye Kehinde – Director, Watolye Nigeria Limited

Mrs. Juliana Saka – Chief Operations Officer, Nigerian Shippers Council

Dr.

By Roland Ekama   The Port and Terminal Management Academy of Nigeria (POTEMAN), in collaboration with Highstone Global University, Texas, USA, hon

11/07/2025

Sequel to two Greek-owned bulk carriers attacked and sunk by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea this week, P&I insurance has been placed on alert.



Houthi attacks on the bulk carriers, Magic Seas and Eternity C, have broad implications for the mutual insurance sector and war risk.

The 63,027 dwt Panamax bulker, Magic Seas, was attacked with drones, missiles, rocket-propelled grenades on 6 July about 50 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah. All members of the crew were rescued.

A day later, the 36,768 dwt bulk carrier, Eternity C, faced repeated attacks from rocket-propelled grenades launched from small craft. Three of the 25 people on board are understood to have died – two crew members and one member of a three-person security team.

Ten seafarers' were recovered from the water on Wednesday into Thursday, six others are understood to have been kidnapped by the Houthis and taken to an unknown location. So far, others remain unaccounted for, with four believed to have died.
&IClub &IInsurance

Sequel to two Greek-owned bulk carriers attacked and sunk by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea this week, P&I insurance has been placed on alert.   Ho

11/07/2025

The Lagos State Government on Thursday expressed its readiness to partner with China through the China-Nigeria Low-Carbon Demonstration initiative (Nextier) on the Lekki Low-Carbon Demonstration Zone (LLCDZ) Project to reduce carbon emissions in the State.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokinbo Wahab made this known during a strategic meeting with the team from (Nextier) China-Nigeria Low-Carbon Demonstration Initiative held at the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Alausa, Ikeja, saying the partnership would be meaningful as the project would align with the state's climate ambitions and policy frameworks.

He said Lagos State Government has implemented several key initiatives to drive climate-positive growth, such as in 2023 during the Lagos International Climate Change Summit, when the state Government unveiled the Lagos Climate Adaptation Resilience Action Plan.

The Lagos State Government on Thursday expressed its readiness to partner with China through the China-Nigeria Low-Carbon Demonstration initiative (Nextier) on

10/07/2025

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has inaugurate a joint Implementation Committee aimed at enforcing the terms of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two agencies in 2024.

Adeniyi who paid an official visit to the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Moji Adeyeye, at her office in Abuja, made this known.

The visit, which took place on Wednesday 9 July 2025, was a direct step forward in translating the MoU into actionable programmes, with both the Legal Adviser to the Nigeria Customs Service, Smart Akande and NAFDAC representative, Olakunle Olaniran, present to reinforce the institutional commitment behind the move.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has inaugurate a joint Implementation Committee aimed at enforcing the terms of a strategic Memorandum of U

10/07/2025

No fewer than ten seafarers' have been rescued from the ill-fated MV Eternity C, reports suggest.

EUNAVFOR Aspides said three Filipino crew members and a private maritime security contractor have been rescued from the waters around Eternity C, bringing to 10 the total number of souls onboard rescued since the ship was attacked.

The EU naval operation said the rescues were carried out overnight on July 9 and 10, and that it continued to participate in coordinating willing actors in the area taking part in the search and rescue mission.

The Houthi attacked Eternity C with unmanned surface vessels and six cruise and ballistic missiles on July 7, disabling the ship. The attack was renewed on July 8 with skiffs surrounding the ship, according to a UKMTO report. The ship sank on July 9 and the event was captured on video by the Houthi.

There were 25 people onboard the vessel, four of whom are believed to have died in the attack.

  No fewer than ten seafarers' have been rescued from the ill-fated MV Eternity C, reports suggest. EUNAVFOR Aspides said three Filipino crew member

10/07/2025

By Roland Ekama



The Nigerian Shippers’ Council Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited convened its 29th Annual General Meeting (AGM) with a focus on “Sustainable Practices for Cooperative Development Amid Global Trade Wars.”

The event brought together members to review the Society’s performance, approve financial statements, and discuss strategies for resilience in a challenging global economic climate.

President of NSC, Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited ,Adeyemi Olaolu while speaking on Thursday 10 July 2025 at the 29th Annual General Meeting held in Lagos, disclosed that the Society reported a significant improvement in its 2024 financial results.

According to him, a Net Surplus for the year rose to N156,413,348.97, marking an increase of N14,558,620.24 over the previous year’s surplus of N141,854,723.73.

  By Roland Ekama   The Nigerian Shippers’ Council Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited convened its 29th Annual General Meetin

09/07/2025

Many crew remain unaccounted for in the aftermath of Houthi attack on Greek-operated bulker in Red Sea

Eternity C — the Liberian-flagged bulker was attacked by Houthi drones and skiffs on July 7 which in turn has sunk, according to multiple reports.

As search and rescue operations continue, the fate of the ship's 22 crew and three-person security team remains unclear. Reuters has reported two crew members injured and four killed in the attack and its aftermath.

An updated notice from UKMTO on July 9 said five crew members had been rescued since search and rescue operations began overnight. Reuters reports that the rescued include four crew members and one private maritime security contractor who were pulled from the water after more than 24 hours in the sea.

The fate of the remaining crew and security contractors has yet to be confirmed. Reports have raised concerns that the Houthi attackers may have taken some crew hostage.

Many crew remain unaccounted for in the aftermath of Houthi attack on Greek-operated bulker in Red Sea Eternity C — the Liberian-flagged bulker was att

09/07/2025

Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) has canvassed for operators in the marine ecosystem to patronize the usage of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)- as part efforts to the decarbonization process .

In a bold move toward sustainable marine mobility, the Lagos State Government—throu LASWA and the Ministry of Transportation—today July 9 2025, convened a high-level strategic engagement focused on converting Omi-Bus ferries to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-Petrol hybrid vessels.

The event brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI), RHKL/CNG4Marine, and infrastructure investors, to chart a clear roadmap for retrofitting existing ferries and deploying CNG refueling infrastructure across Lagos waterways.

A major highlight of the session was the live demonstration of the BGM CNG Hybrid Dual Fuel System, which showcased the potential of hybrid marine technology in reducing emissions and fuel costs.