Travel/Tourism
Establishment Of National Carrier At Advance Stage—Amaechi
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, has once again reiterated that government’s efforts are at advance stage to facilitate the establishment of a National Carrier that would be spear headed by the private sector.
He noted that when established, it will address the current multiple challenges facing the Shipping industry and it will check capital flight, create more employment opportunities for our teeming youth as well as providing opportunity for Sea time training of graduate Cadets.
Mr Amaechi stated this at the 2016 World Maritime Day Celebration in a keynote address he delivered on the theme: “Shipping, Indispensable to the world”, on Wednesday November 2, 2016 in Lagos.
The Minister said opportunities that abound in the Maritime sector which could lift the economy to greater height have remained largely unexploited noting that the most Advance Economies of the World are those that have developed their maritime industries to a greater height and have greatest percentage of participation in international trade.
For Nigeria to achieve this lofty heights, the Minister called for her full participation in international trade which no doubt, has a direct relationship between the development of a nation’s maritime transport by removing all bottlenecks that are affecting the exploration of opportunities that abound in the nation’s maritime sector.
The Minister disclosed that to further address the challenges facing the maritime sector and ensure efficiency and cost effectiveness of the Shipping industry, the Federal Government is putting in place a number of measures which include the privatization of the nation’s Ports and repositioning various regulatory Agencies for effective service delivery as well as vigorously pursuing the expansion of the nation’s Ports system through the development of Deep Sea Ports which will be driven mainly by the private sector.
He further stated that an offshoot of this move was the recent Federal Executive Council approval for the construction of Deep Sea Ports in Lekki and Badagry which are ongoing, and to ensure transparency and accountability in the Maritime Sector, Nigeria as a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has submitted herself to the IMO’s voluntary Audit.
Mr Amaechi said Nigeria quest for sustainable maritime development is not negotiable stating that to achieve this laudable objectives on time, the Federal Government was committed at exploring the Single Window Project and ensuring that the various operational processes of the maritime sector such as vessel reception, cargo handling and clearance among others become automated to reduce revenue leakages in the system. He noted that the Federal Government was also committed to providing enabling environment for increased private sector participation in the operations and provision of services in the maritime sector.
On security, the Minister hinted that government’s attention is geared towards ensuring security in the Shipping industry hence the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is being repositioned to effectively partner the Nigeria Navy and all other relevant security Agencies with a view to addressing the security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea.
According to the Minister, another area of endowment is in the area of coastal trade otherwise known as water transportation. It is most environmentally friendly and cost effective which requires increase involvement of the Private Sector so as to harness the attractive opportunity the sector offer.
“Nigeria coastline of about 853km offers opportunity for high economic activities for cargo on Shipping practitioners and other relevant stakeholders to invest more in this area as Government is committed to providing enabling environment for the development of inland water transportation”, he said.
Captain Adamu Audu Biu, an expert in the Shipping industry delivered a paper titled “Growth and Development of Shipping Industry in Nigeria: Creating enabling environment”. In his paper he examined how shipping industry started in Nigeria, the current position and where it ought to be.
Among those who delivered goodwill messages were, the President of Ship owners Association of Nigeria, Engr. Greg Ogbuefun, Engr. Olu Akinsoji, Dr. Kevin Okonna, DG NIMASA, Dr Peterside Dakuku, MD Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Usman Bala, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Sippers’ Council, Hassan Bello and the Acting Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, Ante Ikpajok.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A travel card designed for tourists, business visitors, Diaspora returnees has been launched by Verve in partnership with Providus Bank.
Known as the ProvidusVerve Travel Card, the Naira-based travel card will allow inbound travellers to enjoy a smooth, secure, and convenient payment experience throughout their stay in Nigeria. It was powered by Verve’s secure.
Created to support the surge of tourists, expatriates, business visitors, conference delegates, and returning diaspora expected during the festive Detty December season, the ProvidusVerve Travel Card enables seamless payments for transportation, hotels, dining, shopping, entertainment, and everyday essentials nationwide.
The card also works on select global merchant platforms that accept Verve, including Netflix, Google Play, and other digital services, ensuring travellers enjoy uninterrupted access to familiar services.
The ProvidusVerve Travel Card eliminates the hassle of sourcing naira or converting foreign currency on arrival. It enables instant, secure transactions, reduces reliance on cash, and supports compliance with the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
It also mitigates the risks associated with carrying physical cash such as loss, theft, or fraud, offering a safe, regulation-aligned option for both online and in-person payments.
“The ProvidusVerve Travel Card is a timely solution for inbound travellers seeking reliability, security, and simplicity while navigating Nigeria.
“Together with Providus Bank, we have created a product that eliminates the friction traditionally associated with accessing local payments.
“Whether for tourism, business, or festive activities, this card ensures a smooth financial experience from the moment visitors land,” the Vice President for Issuing and Acquiring Management for Africa at Verve International, Mr Paul Ohakim, stated.
On his part, the Divisional Head for Product Management and Solution Delivery at Interswitch, Mr Ademola Adeniran, described the partnership as a reflection of “Verve’s commitment to designing products that respond to real user needs.”
“The ProvidusVerve Travel Card supports everyday experiences — from booking rides and hotels to shopping, streaming, and dining. It provides inbound travellers with a secure, compliant, digital-first way to experience Nigeria without financial barriers,” he added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has disclosed that the federal government may recover and sell the assets of Dana Air to refund passengers and travel agents whose funds remain trapped following the suspension of the airline’s operations.
The Minister disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday at the Ministry’s fourth quarter stakeholders’ engagement to enhance governance for effective service delivery in aviation.
Speaking at the event themed “leveraging public feedback to drive excellence in aviation services, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will be directed to probe why funds trapped by the airline are yet to be refunded.
He revealed that the authority suspended the operations of the airline as a matter of choice between safety and disaster.
“For Dana, the problem is that it was a choice between safety and disaster. So we didn’t take the commercial thing as priority. The priority was safety, and we all looked at the damning reports that we had met on the table.
“It was a decision of the NCAA to suspend them, but I pushed them to say, look, these are the reports we are seeing on the table about safety record, about lack of standards that put the lives of Nigerians at risk. If they continue flying, I don’t know whether most of us will be here. Many of us would have been victims of one of those flights. God forbid.”
According to him, “I have asked Najomo (NCAA director general) to dig deep to find out how those passengers and agents will be refunded. He has to dig deep on that.
“One solution will also be that if that same individual or those entities are trying to come back to aviation under any guise, whether to go and register a new AOC or use any business within the aviation sector, they have to go and settle their debts first.
“We should look at their assets. There are assets that are still available. Let them sell their assets. Let’s cannibalize their revenue and pay people. Let’s find a way to go after their assets and get money to pay Nigerians who are owed.
“NCAA should do that because they can’t get away with it.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said it has imposed a N5 million penalty on Qatar Airways for consumer protection violations.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Mr Michael Achimugu, on X, adding that there may be other sanctions depending on how the airline treats other cases.
“Glad to announce that, today, the NCAA has sanctioned @qatarairways to the tune of five million naira being penalty for consumer protection-related infractions. In addition, the letters of investigation (LOI) written to the airline over other cases may lead to further sanctions if not treated satisfactorily,” Mr Achimugu wrote.
The fine followed an incident when a Nigerian passenger was accused by a Qatar Airways cabin crew member of sexual harassment during boarding in Lagos for a flight to the United States via Doha, Qatar.
The allegation was only reported in Doha, where the passenger was arrested, detained for 18 hours, fined, and compelled to sign a document written solely in Arabic.
Qatar Airways allegedly refused to continue his journey, forcing him to purchase another ticket at considerable financial and reputational cost.
The NCAA said it invited Qatar Airways’ country manager to a meeting over the incident, but he failed to attend, sending subordinates instead.
“I understand that some countries do not have advanced aviation consumer protection regulations like Nigeria does. In certain cases, some countries don’t even have any. This creates a situation where airlines operating out of those countries (mostly national carriers) act with disdain towards consumer protection enforcement in Nigeria.
“This is not a situation that we would accept here. It is against the law for ANY Airlines not to respond to the NCAA. It is against the law to provide false information to the NCAA. It is against the law to fail to comply with the provisions of Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023,” Mr Achimugu said in an earlier post.
In September, the NCAA accused Qatar Airways of mistreating Nigerian passengers and failing to comply with consumer protection regulations under Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
The regulator then threatened stiff penalties against the airline for repeatedly disregarding its directives.
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