The Nigerian Customs Service hosted the landmark Maritime Journalists Training Workshop on Friday, November 1, 2024, at the Apapa Customs Auditorium, underscoring a renewed commitment to empower media professionals covering the maritime sector.
Spearheaded by Comptroller Dera Nnadi, Customs Area Controller of Tin Can Island Port Command, this event marked a pioneering effort to bridge knowledge gaps and enhance reporting standards within the industry.
In his opening address, Innocent Orok, Chairman of the Workshop Planning Committee, traced the workshop’s origins to a call for better-trained maritime journalists, sparked by a Vanguard story critiquing Customs’ port operations. Comptroller Nnadi responded with a vision: a dedicated training program to equip journalists with the expertise needed to cover the sector accurately.
“Maritime reporting should belong to those who understand its intricacies,” Nnadi emphasized, highlighting how outdated narratives overlook advanced trade facilitation tools like PAAR, Asycuda, and NICIS, which streamline customs processes and reduce port delays.
Despite economic challenges, Orok expressed the committee’s determination to bring the workshop to fruition, noting the critical role of maritime media in setting an informed agenda for sectoral reforms. “It’s imperative for maritime journalists to be trained and empowered,” he stressed. “This workshop is a foundation for what we hope will become an institutionalized program, giving all journalists the opportunity to benefit in subsequent sessions.”
Orok expressed gratitude to the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, Saidu Yusuf, for their support, as well as Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, the event’s host at Apapa Port Command. The workshop was generously supported by MSC and Zenith Bank, underscoring the importance of public-private partnerships in professional development.
The event culminated in a special recognition segment, where media veterans who have shaped government policies and programs in the maritime sector were honored. “This is only the beginning,” said Orok. “As we grow this initiative, more journalists will receive the acknowledgment they deserve.”
The workshop for Maritime journalists is expected to spark a wave of professional development within maritime journalism, equipping journalists with the tools to report accurately on evolving industry trends, innovations, and regulatory changes. The initiative also reinforces Customs’ commitment to transparency and its collaborative stance with the media.
