Initiatives against corruption in Nigerian ports yielding results – Group 

The group, in partnership with Convention on Business Integrity (CBI), in a chat with journalists, stated that as a result of the help desk for vessel clearance at Nigerian ports and terminals, reports of corrupt demands by government officials from foreign ship captains has decreased to 51 from 268 within three years.

Olusoji Apampa, one of the coordinators while speaking, said that the impact of the help desk created assurances and improved perception among foreign vessels entering Nigerian waters.

“For the future, sustaining this momentum will yield more benefits for Nigeria in terms of image and economic activity and investment in its maritime sector,” he said in a statement.

According to the group, having achieved 80 to 85 percent success in ship clearance, it added that it was working towards extending the help desk to cover the cargo clearance side of.port operations.

Some of the successes recorded in the implementation of the wider ports reform project include; the development of an application housing the Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) of key ports operating government agencies in Nigeria to create transparency and awareness among port users and help them demand, track and ensure compliance with set standards,

Establishment of a Steering Committee made up of the Federal Ministry of Transport, TUGAR, ICPC and Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to provide guidance and coordination for MACN/CBI project implementation

The set up of a Business Action Against Corruption (BAAC) integrity Alliance Steering Committee made up of private sector and civil advocacy stakeholders from the three port zones.

“Through the project, MACN/CBI has trained 100 officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) on leadership, compliance and ethics drawn from their institution’s Code of Conduct.

“In 2022, MACN plans to extend the training to 200 additional officers drawn from agencies operating from the Nigerian ports and terminals such as the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Nigerian Ports Authority and Nigerian Ports Health

“To date, some of the key successes and industry actors in Egypt and Ukraine to replicate with keen interest from other countries such as India and Argentina which are currently looking for ways to improve efficiency and reduce corruption in their ports operations,”