Nigeria wins international maritime award

The Federal Government’s partnership with private sector and a Civil Society group – Convention on Business Integrity to curb corruption at the seaports has earned Nigeria the first ever “Outstanding Achievement in Collective Action Award” of the Switzerland-based Basel Institute on Governance.

According to a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, this was disclosed when a delegation of the CBi paid a courtesy call on Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The statement said the positive strides recorded were due to the joint efforts of the Federal Government agencies including Shippers Council, ICPC, DSS and the Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, the Technical Unit on Governance & Anti-Corruption Reforms, TUGAR, alongside the CBi, through the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network; the cost of a ship berthing in Nigeria, often aggravated by unreceipted extortions, has now drastically reduced from $150,000 per vessel that arrives in the country to about $20,000.

According to CBi Co-Founder, Olusoji Apampa, the success recorded is now attracting international reviews as countries such as Egypt, Ukraine and India.