General News
NSC Tightens Noose on Freight Forwarders, Reviews Port Concession Agreement
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), the nation’s port economic regulator, is putting finishing touches to plans to introduce a minimum capital base for companies engaged in freight forwarding activities.
Similarly, NSC has commenced a review of the port concession agreement in view of finding lasting solutions to various complaints and challenges faced by stakeholders.
Barrister Hassan Bello, executive secretary and chief executive officer of Council gave the hint during an interactive session with media executives in Lagos.
Bello, who decried the lack of professionalism and absence of sanity in the freight forwarding industry, according reports by Ships and Ports Daily, said that the minimum capital base to be introduced by the NSC will stimulate consolidation and weed out touts.
“There must be minimum standards. What we have at present is that someone will come to Lagos by night bus from Birnin Kebbi, arrives the following morning and he becomes a freight forwarder. This cannot be allowed to continue,” the NSC boss stated.
Bello also said that effective cargo clearance at the port is hampered by human elements that daily throng the ports.
He said: “It is only in Nigeria that you see the number of people you see in our ports. It is only in our ports that you see campaign posters (of freight forwarders) inside the yards. Our clearing system is near primitive hence the high cost of doing business at the port.
“We must sanitise the port. Unfortunately we are coming in after the game has started.
“As commercial regulator, we are now the referee of the game and our aim is to sanitise the industry.
“We will be democratic in fulfilling this mandate but there are times when we have to apply force to fulfill this mandate.”
He said the port concession agreement signed by the Federal Government and private terminal operators is long overdue for review. The agreement, according to him, should have been reviewed every two years but has remained untouched since 2006.
He said the NSC is working with all stakeholders to review the agreement to ensure that all parties play their roles as stipulated in the contract.
Since NSC was appointed interim port economic regulator in February this year, it has met with various stakeholders and interest groups to seek their support and buy-in towards executing its mandate. The NSC management had assured port operators and users that it would maintain fairness in serving as umpire of the port.
“This assignment is a re-affirmation of what we have been doing trying to see that there is balance in the industry. We have always been an umpire trying to see that the needed balance necessary for efficiency is maintained. We are going to work with you and for you. We see the ways things are done elsewhere to ensure that international standards are maintained in Nigeria,” Bello had told private terminal operators at the port when he met with them in Lagos.
He said the Council will find it difficult to fulfill its new mandate without the cooperation of stakeholders.
“We need your partnership, your understanding. We need you to trust us to see that we are going to move this industry forward for your benefit and for the benefit of those who consume your services,” he said, assuring that the NSC would not take sides with any of the interested parties including importers, exporters and agents.
Neutrality, objectivity and fairness would be the watchword of the Council, going forward, he said.
“To make things work, we will do joint project that we will conceive together with you. We have so many issues in the port with the shippers but we are going to streamline these things to make it transparent. Things we do will be scientific also. We cannot be sentimental about this important industry,” Bello stated.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled a forward-looking strategy that places satellite-enabled mobile connectivity at the heart of the country’s drive to bridge its long-standing coverage gaps.
The draft Spectrum Roadmap for the Communications Sector for 2025 to 2030 lays out how satellite technologies could help deliver reliable voice and data services to millions of Nigerians who live beyond the reach of conventional mobile networks.
The direction is outlined in the Commission’s draft Spectrum Roadmap for the Communications Sector covering the period.
The proposed approach highlights non-terrestrial networks as a complement to existing mobile infrastructure, especially in areas where terrain, insecurity, or high costs limit the deployment of base stations.
The NCC said D2D satellite technology, which allows standard mobile phones to connect directly to satellites, is gaining traction globally as a means of delivering voice and data services without reliance on ground towers.
According to the regulator, the technology could help close persistent coverage gaps in rural, riverine, and border communities that remain outside the reach of conventional networks.
It also noted that satellite-backed connectivity could improve network reliability by providing alternative links during fibre cuts, power failures, or other disruptions affecting terrestrial systems.
The Commission added that wider adoption of D2D services could support emergency communications, public safety operations, Internet of Things applications, and services such as smart agriculture in underserved regions.
It also pointed to potential investment opportunities through partnerships between mobile network operators and satellite companies, including more efficient use of shared spectrum resources.
Beyond D2D services, the roadmap places emphasis on Low-Earth Orbit satellites to expand broadband access to remote parts of the country.
It also proposes better utilisation of Geostationary Orbit satellites and the exploration of high-altitude platforms, such as stratospheric balloons, to support mobile backhaul and rural connectivity.
The policy signals come shortly after Airtel Africa announced an agreement with SpaceX to introduce Starlink-powered direct-to-cell services in Nigeria.
The NCC’s roadmap is expected to shape future spectrum allocation, licensing decisions, and technology adoption across the telecommunications sector.
General News
House of Reps Releases Certified Copies of Tax Reform Acts amid Gazette Discrepancy Claims
House of Representatives has released certified true copies of the four tax reform Acts signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, addressing public concerns over alleged discrepancies between legislative versions and circulated gazetted documents.
Tax Reform Acts
House spokesperson, Akin Rotimi, disclosed this in a statement, noting that Speaker Tajudeen Abbas directed the immediate publication of the Acts—including endorsement and presidential assent pages—for public verification, in collaboration with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The move followed allegations raised by Rep. Abdulsamad Dasuki on the House floor, highlighting inconsistencies between Bills passed by the National Assembly and executive gazetted versions, which he warned could erode legislative integrity and public trust.
Abbas constituted a seven-member ad hoc committee chaired by Rep. Aliyu Betara, with members including Idris Wase, Sada Soli, Adedeji Faleke, Igariwey Iduma, Fred Agbedi and Babajimi Benson, to investigate the alleged alterations, unauthorised circulation and preventive measures.
The committee’s mandate includes probing circumstances around the discrepancies, while Abbas ordered internal verification and public release of certified copies to dispel doubts and safeguard legislative records. Legal experts, tax professionals and civil society had demanded clarification and implementation suspension amid heated debates triggered by Dasuki’s intervention.
The released laws comprise the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; National Revenue Service Establishment Act, 2025; and Joint Revenue Board Establishment Act, 2025, described as foundational to modernising Nigeria’s tax system.
These reforms aim to enhance compliance, curb inefficiencies, eliminate overlaps and bolster fiscal coordination across federal, state and local tiers, following extensive stakeholder consultations, committee reviews and plenary debates under Abbas’s leadership.
Rotimi reassured Nigerians: “The National Assembly is an institution built on records, procedure, and institutional memory. Every Bill, every amendment, and every Act follows a traceable constitutional and parliamentary pathway.”
He emphasised that only National Assembly-certified versions hold authority, urging the public, institutions and stakeholders to disregard all other circulating documents as unofficial.
MultiChoice, a CANAL+ company, has retained the distribution rights to 12 Warner Bros. Discovery thematic channels following the signing of a new multi-year, multi-territory agreement between CANAL+ Group and Warner Bros. Discovery, marking a significant expansion of their long-standing partnership.
MultiChoice
The new deal, which spans several regions across Africa and Europe, covers the distribution of HBO Max as well as the renewal of selected Warner Bros. Discovery thematic channels. It represents a major milestone in the companies’ international collaboration and strengthens content offerings across MultiChoice Group territories.
MultiChoice disclosed that this agreement builds on earlier partnerships concluded in Europe. “It builds on the landmark agreements concluded in France in 2024,including the renewal of the exclusive pay-TV window for Warner Bros. Pictures films just six months after their theatrical release in France and the integration of HBO Max within select CANAL+ group offers – as well as in Poland in 2025, with the renewal of the distribution agreement for 22 thematic channels (including TVN 24 and Eurosport) and 4 free-to-air channels (including TVN).”
Under the renewed arrangement, MultiChoice Group will continue to distribute 12 Warner Bros. Discovery thematic channels across its territories, with some channels offered on an exclusive basis. CNN International and Cartoon Network will remain exclusive to South Africa while being distributed non-exclusively in other markets. Cartoon Network Porto will be exclusive in Angola and Mozambique and non-exclusive elsewhere. Other channels such as Discovery Channel, TLC, HGTV, Food Network, TNT Africa, Travel, ID and Cartoonito will be offered on a non-exclusive basis.
According to the partners, the deal reinforces CANAL+ Group’s channel portfolio on the continent. “This agreement enables CANAL+ Group to strengthen its entertainment, kids, news, and documentary channel offerings in African markets.”
The agreement is also expected to improve access for CANAL+ Group subscribers to Warner Bros. Discovery’s premium content through HBO Max and selected channels, including globally recognised series and films, further extending the studio’s international reach while consolidating MultiChoice’s content offering in key markets.
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