THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has organised a one-day training workshop for maritime journalists on the need to understand the commercial terms and phrases in the Nigerian maritime industry.
The Service also pointed out that the global trading arena has become very complex and dynamic, especially due to increasing technological advancements.
The training, which was in collaboration with Roam Media Concept is in line with the current management’s robust stakeholders’ engagement and capacity building.
Speaking at the event, Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who was represented by the Controller, Tin-Can Island Area Command of the Service, Comptroller Dera Nnadi, said that the emergence of technological advancement across the globe has more than ever before made international trade and commerce more complex and dynamic.
Comptroller Nnadi, who was also the co-convener of the workshop said that the nation’s maritime industry has over the years gone through significant changes, a development that makes capacity building, training and retraining of not only officers of the Service but also media stakeholders that cover the industry, imperative.
According to the Customs CG, “The advancement in technology coupled with a shift in global trade patterns with the attendant new regulatory frameworks have brought about new terminologies that impact Customs operations and how it collaborates with stakeholders, including the media.
“We stand at the cross section of trade innovations and regulatory practices that shape our global requirements. The maritime industry has also gone through significant changes over the years driven by advancements in technology, shift in global trade patterns and informing regulatory frameworks and with these come new terminologies that may not only impact on Customs operations, but also how we collaborate with other stakeholders.
“Today, we explore essential vocabularies that underpin our work, helping us to navigate through the complexities of Customs procedures, trade compliance and international logistics. Understanding these terms is not just a matter of semantics but also crucial in enhancing efficiency, fostering transparency and ensuring compliance in our operations. I therefore encourage participants to engage actively and share insights.”
Also speaking at the event, Customs Area Controller Apapa Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, implored the media practitioners to make the best out of the training session. He emphasised the commitment of the Service in bringing the maritime media up to date on new trends in the global trade arena.
Meanwhile, the convener of the event, Mr. Innocent Orok, said that what brought about the workshop was as a report published in a newspaper, which claimed that there were certain manual operations in Customs cargo processes, which had been eliminated since 2006 when the service began its automation processes.
He revealed that Comptroller Nnadi, who also saw the report and drew his attention to it, expressly agreed that there is urgent need to train maritime journalists for them to properly educate the public.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Managing Director of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), Jacob iosso, said that the company has handled export consignments of over 40,000 Twenty Equivalent Units of agricultural products in the last 12 months.
He said that the volume of goods handled by the company the year before has increased this year, stating that the export goods which are mostly agricultural produce, were shipped to different countries globally.
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