Business
Suez Canal ship “Ever Given” successfully re-floated
The massive ship that has blocked the Suez Canal for over a week has been partially cleared off the water way.
Inchcape, a leading provider of marine services and supply logistics has announced that Ever Given has been successfully re-floated in the Suez Canal, a week after the giant vessel was grounded due to strong winds in excess of 35 to 40 miles an hour.
Information contained in a Bloomberg report reveals the breakthrough in the rescue attempt came after diggers removed 27,000 cubic meters of sand, going deep into the banks of the canal.
The authorities noted that while the ship is floating again, it wasn’t immediately clear how soon the waterway would be open to traffic, however, efforts are being made to secure her at the moment.
READ: Switzerland to file suit against Nigeria over detained vessel
The giant vessel which ran aground about a week ago has become a major challenge for global trade, blocking one of the world’s most important trade paths, which account for about 12% of global trade and 30% of global container ship traffic daily.
This has spiked tensions and concerns about the strain of this disruption on the global supply chains, which has been stretched by the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ: Nigerian Ports Authority seeks N50 billion for patrol boats, fenders purchase
What you should know
- The grounding of Ever Given has led to a logjam of more than 450 ships, while some ships have already opted for the long and expensive trip around the southern tip of Africa instead of Suez.
- The number of ships waiting to enter the Suez Canal now exceeds the size of the entire U.S. Navy fleet.
- According to data compiled by Bloomberg, vessels hauling commodities such as grains, coal and iron ore account for the biggest share of the vessels stuck in and around the canal. While as many as 15 vessels could be carrying thousands of livestock.
Egypt had set a deadline of Tuesday to start unloading the ship if it wasn’t refloated yet. The ship remains stable, however, the front was damaged due to the rescue attempts made to refloat the vessel.
Business
NPA suspends Electronic Call-up for trucks at APM terminal, Apapa
This follows a fallout of the dispute between members of the Maritime Workers Union and the management of AP Moller Terminals.
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has announced the suspension of the Electronic Call-up for trucks (ETO) for cargoes bound for the AP Moller Terminal (APMT) in Apapa.
This follows the disruption of operations at the terminal which is a fallout of the dispute between members of the Maritime Workers Union and the management of AP Moller Terminals.
This disclosure is contained in a series of tweet posts by NPA on its official Twitter handle on Thursday, April 15, 2021.
The NPA said that while it is working towards resolving the dispute between both parties, APMT will not receive or exit cargoes for the next 24 hours.
The tweet from NPA reads, ”Following a dispute with the management of AP Moller Terminals at the Lagos Ports Complex, Apapa, members of the Maritime Workers Union have today, April 15, disrupted operations at the terminal.
While the NPA is working toward resolving the dispute between the two parties, APMT will not be able to receive or exit cargoes for the next 24 hours.
The authority hereby urges stakeholders to please take note, as ETO tickets will not be issued to APMT bound cargoes.’’
What you should know
- There were earlier reports that the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) on April 15 shut down AP Moller Terminal (APMT) in Apapa.
- The President-General of MWUN, Mr Adewale Adeyanju, disclosed that the grounding of activities at the terminal is due to the expiration of the one week plus notice given to the management of the terminal to adhere to the laws of the land.
Following a dispute with the management of AP Moller Terminals at the Lagos Ports Complex, Apapa, members of the Maritime Workers Union have today, Thursday April 15, 2021, disrupted operations at the terminal.
— Nigerian Ports (@nigerianports) April 15, 2021
Business
NCC issues NIN enrollment guideline for foreigners living in Nigeria
All legally resident foreigners are required to obtain a NIN just like Nigerian citizens.
Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has issued NIN enrollment guidelines for foreigners living in Nigeria.
According to NCC, all persons in Nigeria who use mobile networks are required to register their SIM cards and link them with the NIN database.
This was disclosed by the commission via its Twitter handle on Thursday.
READ: Here are 6 directives NCC gave MTN, Airtel, others on SIMs without NIN
It tweeted, “All persons in Nigeria who use mobile networks are required to register their SIM cards and link them with the NIN database.
All legally resident foreigners (i.e. non-Nigerians living and working in Nigeria) are to obtain a NIN just like Nigerian citizens. They can do this by submitting valid resident/work permits at NIMC enrolment centres.
However, foreigners on tourist or visiting visa are to tender their international passports to acquire a SIM. But where such a visiting foreigner or tourist’s immigration status changes to residency or work permit, he/she will be required to obtain NIN and link the registered SIM.”
READ: Beware of fake NIN app, NIMC warns Nigerians
It added that the NIN does not confer citizenship on foreigners but only serves to identify a person (citizens and legal residents).
— ncc.gov.ng (@NgComCommission) April 15, 2021
