General
NIMASA, NLNG Partner to Train Seafarers
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has signed a training agreement with the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas NLNG Ship Management Limited (NSML) to facilitate Certificate of Competency (CoC) examinations for beneficiaries of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Program (NSDP).
The NSDP is a sponsored intervention programme being implemented by NIMASA to grow capacity of young Nigerians to be certified as seafarers with global recognition and acceptance, thus bridging the gap in the dearth of seafarers globally.
The CoC examination is the final stage of the NSDP training, culminating in the acquisition of the CoC license which potentially opens the doors of global employment opportunities for the cadets.
Speaking at an induction ceremony by NSML for 50 of NIMASA’s Romanian trained NSDP beneficiaries , the NIMASA Director General, Mr Bashir Jamoh OFR, highlighted the success of the collaboration between both parties in fostering the development of Nigerian seafarers.
The NIMASA DG who was represented by the agency’s Director Special Duties, Mr Isichei Osamgbi, noted that NIMASA sincerely appreciates NSML for their leadership and vision in partnering the Agency to support the development of seafarers and promotion of our local content onboard their vessels.
In his words “It is worthy of note that a good number of NSDP Officers trained onboard NSML vessels are now employed by the company. Today, we are proud to announce that 150 Romanian-trained NSDP cadets have concluded their mandatory onboard sea training and are ready to proceed for the Certificate of Competency (CoC) training and examinations.
The signing of this Training Agreement between both parties resulting in the commencement of CoC for the first batch of Romanian trained cadets, will go a long way in ensuring all backlogs of cadets awaiting CoCs are cleared”.
He urged other organizations in the industry to take a cue from NSML and give opportunities to aspiring Nigerian seafarers to acquire knowledge and gain experiences to excel in the field.
The Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mrs Magdalene Ajani, while speaking at the ceremony charged the lucky Cadets to be worthy ambassadors of Nigeria.
According to Mrs Ajani who was represented by Mrs. Ekanem Saila, a Deputy Director from the Ministry noted that the collaboration between NIMASA and NSML was a welcome development and the outcome of discussions which have been on for some time.
On his part, the Managing Director/CEO of NSML, Mr Abdulkadir Ahmed, said the organisation is sponsoring 50 of the cadets to the South Shield Marine School in the UK for a 12 month programme to get their certificates of competency required to trade on vessels globally.
He said this is aimed at addressing the dearth of Nigerian seafarers on ocean going vessels and the need to meet indigenous manning requirements in Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage).
He stated that the training programme in the UK is the gold standard in maritime training, noting that with the certificate of competencies, the cadets will become qualified seafarers and work on any vessel globally.
“So our support here is really in coordinating and ensuring we actually support these cadets back to back because the goal is to ensure they come out with good Certificates of Competency and to ensure they have a career in the global shipping marine sector,” he stated.
Mr Ahmed also noted that, with the emerging transition in the shipping and maritime industry, such as in energy and decarbonisation, which requires bringing in new technologies, it is important that seafarers continue to upgrade their skill sets and train on new technologies to be abreast of new developments.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The United States government gave some terrorists in Nigeria a Christmas gift that sent many of them to the great beyond.
On Thursday, December 25, 2025, the United States President, Mr Donald Trump, directed his country’s military to launch air strikes on camps of members of the dreaded Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Sokoto State.
According to Mr Trump, the military action, which he threatened to carry out a few weeks ago if the Nigerian government does not stop the killing of Christians in the country, occurred on Thursday night.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was.
“The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.
“Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical islamic terrorism to prosper. May God bless our military, and Merry Christmas to all, including the dead terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
In a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Department of War of the United States posted the below video of the air strikes;
https://twitter.com/DeptofWar/status/2004351717131903272
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The presidency has reacted to speculations that Mr Femi Gbajabiamila has been removed as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.
It was alleged that Mr Gbajabiamila has been replaced with the President’s Principal Private Secretary, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
Mr Muri-Okunola went to Abuja to take up this role after leaving as the Head of Service of the Lagos State Civil Service.
Reacting to the reports on social media on the purported removal of Mr Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, the presidency said no such change has been made.
In a statement signed on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, members of the public were advised to disregard the report as “there is absolutely no truth to this story.”
“The Chief of Staff remains in his position. The Principal Private Secretary likewise remains in his role. Hakeem Muri-Okunola has not replaced Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff.
“The viral claim is a fabrication by mischievous purveyors of fake news whose sole aim is to create disharmony within the government.
“We reiterate that news media should always verify their information before publishing or sharing on social media,” the statement said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The new chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has assumed office with a clear message to advance the country’s upstream oil and gas sector in line with the mandate of the commission as enshrined in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
According to a statement signed by Mr Eniola Akinkuotu, the Head of Media & Strategic Communications at the upstream regulator, the NUPRC boss made this assertation during her first town hall meeting with management and staff on Tuesday December 23, 2025.
She further disclosed plans to make the commission a business enabler and re-ignite investments in the upstream sector.
Recall that President Tinubu nominated Mrs Eyesan to take over the NUPRC after the abrupt resignation of her predecessor, Mr Gbenga Komolafe as well as his counterpart in the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Farouk Ahmed.
In her new capacity, Mrs Eyesan also set a firm production ambition of growing Nigeria’s output and increasing gas production.
“The goal is that we must enable the industry, we are regulators. We must enable the industry from our interactions with the stakeholders, from our interactions with everybody.
“My main objective is to ensure that we make a difference. I believe the NUPRC is at the Center of the industry,” she said.
The commission boss who has served for over three decades in the oil and gas sector, promised to entrench digitisation, transparency and efficiency in operations.
The NUPRC head said with the support of staff and management, the NUPRC will become the gold-standard regulator in Africa. She also promised capacity development, stronger technical depth and sustained engagement with stakeholders, unions and professional teams.
On leadership style, Mrs Eyesan promised an open-door policy and frequent staff engagement, while also soliciting for support and cooperation as the industry embarks on the next phase of transformation.
“If we work together we can unleash opportunities, I don’t see impediments only opportunities,” she added.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn