General
Customs, NDLEA Join Forces to Frustrate Drug Traffickers
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A memorandum of understanding aimed to put drug traffickers in the country out of business has been sealed between the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The Comptroller General of Customs, Mr Hameed Ali, who led the management team of the NCS to the headquarters of the NDLEA on Tuesday, said the deal would serve as a “strong signal to the crime predators” in Nigeria.
He further said the partnership would mitigate suspicion and rivalry between the two agencies and would intensify security measures at the borderline against drug trafficking.
According to him, the idea is to strengthen the country’s war against drug traffickers and checkmate the illegal activities of criminals across Nigeria’s airports, seaports, and land borders.
“We believe that coming together as a body that is committed to making this nation a drug trafficking-free zone, this is surely the best step to start,” Mr Ali said.
While commending the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Mr Buba Marwa, for initiating the bond, Mr Ali said that the NCS-NDLEA synergy would send a message to the international countries that the duo agencies are boldly ready to protect Nigerian borders from illicit trafficking of hard drugs.
According to him, customs has, over the years, been fighting against drug trafficking and has never failed to hand over every seized substance to the authorities of the NDLEA.
“This is what we do better because that’s where it belongs, and that’s where the case will properly be pursued and investigated,” he added.
The Comptroller General expressed optimism that, with Mr Marwa in NDLEA, the partnership would properly be maintained, and the entire NCS will respect the collaboration, as it will certainly reduce the menace of drug trafficking in Nigeria.
“In line with our mission to end drug trafficking and every illegal trade-related operation in Nigeria, we have already improved our technological operation significantly, and I want to implore you to come together and ensure that we build a stable system that will enable us to achieve this target effectively at our borders,” he stated.
Mr urged the NDLEA to always send feedback to the NCS upon every handed-over case for upload to its database.
Mr Marwa, while speaking earlier, described the signing of the MoU as a benchmark for achieving a common goal to get rid of illicit drug trafficking and consumption in Nigeria, expressing optimism that the MoU would inflict maximum loss on drug cartels bent on trafficking illicit substances at the detriment of Nigeria and Nigerians.
“This is certainly a benchmark for information and or intelligence sharing. It is also a platform for sharing operational and administrative experiences to adopt best practices that work. With this united front, there can only be one assurance that the criminal elements in our society will be the losers, and I assure you that they will certainly lose big as we come for them to put them where they rightly belong and cripple their crime syndicates.
“Therefore, on behalf of the NDLEA, I assure you of our commitment to this MoU and intend to provide all the necessary support required to drive the implementation process to ensure the realization of all accruable benefits. As it is usually said, together we stand and remain undefeatable,” he said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has formally transitioned into the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) following President Bola Tinubu’s assent to the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026.
The Act establishes NPERA as the statutory authority responsible for the economic regulation of ports in the country.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, Mr Ibrahim Shema, chairman of the NPERA governing board, described the development as a major institutional reform aimed at creating a more transparent, predictable, and competitive port environment.
Mr Shema said NPERA would be responsible for the economic regulation of port services and related activities, including tariffs and charges, licensing, service standards, fair competition, commercial dispute resolution, trade facilitation, and protection of port users.
He said the new framework is expected to provide greater regulatory certainty for shipping lines and terminal operators, while offering importers, exporters, freight forwarders, and clearing agents more predictable procedures, fairer charges, and improved mechanisms for resolving disputes.
The chairman clarified that the establishment of NPERA does not create a competing authority with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
“While the Nigerian Ports Authority will retain responsibility for port infrastructure and its landlord functions, NPERA will provide independent economic oversight within its statutory mandate,” Mr Shema said.
He said NPERA’s regulatory approach will be anchored on five principles: transparency, fairness, predictability, efficiency, and accountability.
The board’s chairman said the new agency would deploy technology and data to strengthen licensing, tariff administration, monitoring, compliance, reporting, and stakeholder engagement.
“The agency also plans to work with key maritime institutions, including the Nigerian Ports Authority, NIMASA and the Nigeria Customs Service, as well as terminal operators, shipping lines, freight forwarders, manufacturers, investors and other industry stakeholders,” he said.
Mr Shema said the immediate priority is to ensure an orderly transition from the NSC to NPERA, while maintaining continuity in essential regulatory functions and preserving institutional knowledge.
The chairman stressed that the success of the new agency would ultimately be measured by its impact on port users and the wider economy.
“Effective implementation of the Act should translate into better services, greater efficiency, lower uncertainty, fair competition, and stronger trade facilitation,” Shema added.
On his part, Mr Pius Akutah, executive secretary and chief executive of NPERA, expressed optimism that the new law would significantly clarify the regulatory environment governing Nigeria’s ports within the next one to two years.
Mr Akutah said the NPERA Act would give the agency stronger powers to improve commercial dispute resolution and protect the interests and welfare of port users and other stakeholders, adding that the new regulatory framework would enable the agency to deliver a more efficient, transparent, and competitive Nigerian port system.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani, has announced that Nigeria will launch a new alphanumeric postcode system on October 1, 2026, with every home expected to have a unique postcode.
Mr Tijani disclosed the development in a video post on X, describing the new system as a more precise and digitally oriented approach to addressing locations across the country.
He said the initiative would mark a significant shift in Nigeria’s postal addressing system by assigning unique postcodes to individual homes.
The initiative marks a major step in Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda. By replacing the outdated numeric-only system, the alphanumeric codes provide a more flexible and scalable framework that can accommodate the country’s rapid urban growth and diverse settlement patterns.
For emphasis, an alphanumeric postcode system is a postal indexing system that uses a combination of both letters (alpha) and numbers (numeric), along with spaces or punctuation, to identify specific geographic locations, streets, or individual buildings for mail delivery.
Unlike purely numeric postcode systems (such as the 5-digit US ZIP Code or 5-digit codes used in some European countries), alphanumeric codes offer a much higher number of unique combinations using fewer total characters. This flexibility allows postal authorities to pinpoint locations with incredible precision, often down to a single side of a street or a specific large building.
“On October 1st 2026 Nigeria’s new Alphanumeric Postcode System goes live,” Mr Tijani said.
“For the first time, every home will be assigned a unique postcode that’s simple, precise and built for a digital future,” he added.
The minister urged Nigerians to prepare to generate their individual postcodes ahead of the launch.
The new system is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s digital addressing infrastructure and improve the identification and location of homes and properties for postal and other location-based services.
The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) as part of broader efforts to modernise the country’s addressing and digital infrastructure.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, has been directed to give an account to Nigerians on how the current government has fared since its inception on May 29, 2023.
This directive was given by President Bola Tinubu in a message posted on his verified social media handles on Wednesday.
This coincides with the commencement of campaigns for the 2027 presidential election scheduled for January 16.
According to the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), candidates seeking to become the country’s president are eligible to kick off their campaigns from today, Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
In his message today, Mr Tinubu said, “When we began this journey of reform in 2023, I promised that the difficult decisions we were making would serve the purpose of building an economy that works better for you and a country that is stronger for our children.
“Today, your government presents The Reforms Scorecard. It sets out what our reforms have achieved, what they have cost us, and the greater costs and harms we have prevented by acting when we did.
“I have therefore directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to give an account to Nigerians, to explain the numbers, the choices we have made, the progress recorded, and the work that remains.
“You deserve to see the numbers. You deserve to know what has changed and what these reforms mean for you, your family, your business and our country.
“This is your government. This is your country. This is our account to you.”
Shortly after he took the oath of office over three years ago, President Tinubu declared that subsidies on petroleum products were gone. He later approved foreign exchange (FX) reforms, which devalued the Nigerian Naira, shooting from about N800 per Dollar to nearly N2,000 per Dollar. However, it is currently slightly above N1,340 per Dollar in the official market.
