General
Shippers Lament High Berthing Charges in Nigeria, Seek Reduction
By Adedapo Adesanya
Shipping stakeholders under the aegis of the Shipping Agencies, Clearing and Forwarding Employers Association (SACFEA) have called on the federal government to urgently reduce taxes for shippers.
The group warned that exorbitant port charges are driving business away from Nigerian ports to neighbouring countries.
At a recent press conference in Lagos, SACFEA Chairman, Mrs Boma Alabi, highlighted that it now costs around $200,000 to berth an average cargo vessel in Nigeria, following a recent 15 per cent increase in marine service charges by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
She decried that this is in stark contrast to other countries, drawing examples that the same service costs just $15,000 at Ghana’s Tema Port, noting that Nigeria’s fees are 1,233 per cent higher in Ghana.
She added that this would force the hands of stakeholders to try cheaper alternative routes, cutting them out of the equation.
Mrs Alabi said that neighbouring ports, including those in Cotonou and Lome, offer significantly lower berthing charges, making Nigerian ports uncompetitive.
For example, she said berthing a vessel costs $26,000 in Lome (Togo), $27,000 in Cotonou (Benin Republic), $29,000 in Singapore, $21,000 in Shanghai, and $60,000 in Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire).
The SACFEA chairman pointed out that smaller neighbouring countries have taken advantage of Nigeria’s high costs to attract cargoes originally destined for Nigerian ports.
She cited Terminal 3 at Ghana’s Tema Port, a dedicated container terminal with three berths capable of handling ships up to 366 meters in length and 16 meters draught – which processes 1.9 million Twenty Equivalent Units (TEUs) annually compared to Nigeria’s 1.2 million TEUs.
Mrs Alabi expressed concern that increased charges and indirect taxes are making Nigeria’s business environment hostile to investment.
She warned that no new factories or manufacturing companies are emerging while the unemployment rate continues to climb.
“We were not informed about the charges before the government implemented them,” Mrs Alabi said, adding that “The government should make ports competitive and attractive through reduced charges. Lower charges will increase cargo throughput, generating more revenue and creating jobs for the youth.”
She also listed multiple charges from government agencies, decaying quay aprons, congested port access roads, poor road conditions, and illegal tolls as factors contributing to the high cost of doing business at Nigerian seaports.
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.
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