As countries prepare for the 2026 World Maritime Day, Nigeria continues to struggle with implementing important policies that have transformed the sector elsewhere, ADAKU ONYENUCHEYA reports.

As the maritime community marks the World Maritime Day on September 24, citing the need for governments to move beyond policy formulation to effective enforcement in focus, Nigeria faces a persistent implementation gap with its failure to translate laws and international conventions into actions, thereby undermining indigenous shipping, port efficiency and the wider economic potential of the sector.

The theme of the 2026 World Maritime Day: ‘From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence’ emphasises the importance of adhering to international laws, conventions and policies and ensuring their full implementation, while also highlighting gaps in enforcement and regulatory effectiveness.

The global maritime ecosystem carries 80 per cent of international trade by volume and is estimated to be worth between $6 trillion and $14 trillion yearly.

This global sector is governed by numerous international rules, national laws, regulations and standards covering safety, security, environmental protection, navigation, seafarers and the efficient movement of ships and cargo.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) developed a comprehensive framework of international maritime conventions, with associated codes, guidelines and recommendations, which are expected to be implemented and translated into everyday operations by its 176 member states.

The Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez, said the full benefits of this framework could only be realised through ratification, effective implementation and constant enforcement.

Unfortunately, these global regulatory frameworks are only adopted in principle and remain on paper without being fully implemented by the maritime nations.

The IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS) has also reported gaps in national legislation and enforcement, indicating a need to improve regulatory effectiveness.

Nigeria, specifically, has adopted these policies, but is slow to translate them into concrete national legislation, enforcement and day-to-day operations across the maritime sector.

Nigeria also has a well-written maritime policy, properly developed regulations, and adopted international conventions, but has failed to implement them.

Dominguez stressed that implementation is what gives policy meaning, saying: “From the bridge of a vessel to the port terminal, from the regulator to the shipowner, and from the policymaker to the seafarer, maritime excellence depends on how effectively policies are translated into everyday operations.”

Policy failure
This year’s World Maritime Day has exposed gaps in Nigeria’s maritime governance system.

In fact, Nigeria has ratified and domesticated several international maritime conventions and laws aimed at strengthening its maritime sector, ensuring compliance with international standards and empowering indigenous operators.

The Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003 was enacted to reserve coastal shipping for Nigerian-owned, Nigerian-crewed and Nigerian-flagged vessels.

The law was expected to usher in a new era for Nigeria’s domestic shipping industry by empowering indigenous operators to own and operate vessels and compete effectively with their foreign counterparts. However, its implementation has remained a major challenge for the regulator.

In practice, the law is only operational on paper, as many foreign vessels still operate in the coastal waters.

Unlike Nigeria, the United States has fully implemented its Jones Act, the 1920 maritime law that requires U.S.-built, U.S.-owned and U.S.-crewed vessels for domestic shipping. Stakeholders have urged the Federal government to draw lessons from the implementation of the law.

To further support indigenous ownership, the Federal government established the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) for the purchase of vessels.

The CVFF portal has been launched to facilitate seamless access to the funds, with each successful applicant eligible to access up to $25 million.

However, the fund has remained largely undisbursed for about 23 years, with no recorded disbursement to local shipowners.

For the Cargo Reservation/National Fleet Policy, Nigerian cargo should be carried by Nigerian ships with first right of refusal.

Unfortunately, it was never implemented because the Federal Government, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and other agencies don’t give cargo assurance to local operators; hence, no bank wants to finance vessel acquisition.

Foreign vessels continue to transport Nigeria’s cargo, with the country losing about N9 trillion yearly in freight earnings to foreign shipping companies due to inadequate indigenous shipping capacity.

Former President of the Nigerian chapter of the African Shipowners Association (ASA) and Group Managing Director of Seamate Maritime Integrated Services Ltd, Ladi Olubowale, drew attention to the continued participation of foreign-controlled vessels in the transportation of the country’s crude and petroleum cargoes.

He noted that large tankers, including Suezmax vessels, regularly call at Nigerian crude terminals such as Forcados, Bonny and Escravos, generating significant freight revenues from Nigerian-origin cargo.

The policy question, he argued, should therefore be: How can Nigeria progressively convert the movement of its own cargo into domestic maritime assets, employment, technical capability, financing opportunities and long-term national economic value?

He described the ambition to develop Nigerian-owned Suezmax capacity as part of a broader vision for indigenous participation in the transportation of crude oil and refined petroleum products.

On a cargo-backed fleet development model, Olubowale advocated that Nigeria’s maritime policy should therefore encourage a model built around four connected pillars: Cargo, Contract, Finance and Vessel.

According to him, for Dangote Group, whose expanding refinery, cement, fertiliser and industrial operations are generating substantial maritime cargo volumes, this could provide an opportunity to become an important catalyst for Nigerian fleet development.

Olubowale proposed that major cargo owners, particularly the Dangote Group, should support domestic fleet development through long-term Contracts of Affreightment (CoAs) covering petroleum products, cement, fertiliser and other bulk commodities.

He emphasised that Dangote should consider allocating portions of its maritime cargo requirements to qualified indigenous shipping companies under structured multi-year CoAs.

The Federal government created the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to address challenges in the sector, while also launching a 10-year National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy (2025–2034) to harness the country’s extensive marine resources, including the over 853 kilometres of coastline, as a key driver of sustainable economic growth, environmental stewardship and job creation.

Unfortunately, the comprehensive national policy, anchored on a robust implementation framework, has yet to be effectively implemented, even at the state level.

Director of International Trade at the Maritime Researchers and Authors Association of Nigeria (MARASSON), Sunday Ademuyiwa, said the ministry had recorded progress in policy development, maritime security, port infrastructure and Nigeria’s international maritime standing, but argued that several major commitments remained unfulfilled.

Ademuyiwa said the creation of the ministry three years ago was a significant policy shift aimed at reducing Nigeria’s dependence on oil and traditional port activities and unlocking the economic potential of the country’s marine resources.

He said the National Blue Economy Policy, drafted under the ministry, provided Nigeria with a framework covering areas including fisheries, shipping, marine tourism and seabed resources.

Ademuyiwa said the progress recorded in the sector had not translated into the full delivery of some of the administration’s major promises.

He further stated the proposed national shipping line had remained largely on paper, despite the availability of the CVFF, adding that no ship had been acquired under the initiative.

Ademuyiwa expressed concern over the slow development of Nigeria’s fishing fleet and cold-chain infrastructure, stressing that artisanal fishermen in coastal communities still largely depended on wooden boats while post-harvest losses remained high.

He also criticised the cost of doing business at Nigerian ports, maintaining that shipping lines, terminal operators and other service providers continued to impose numerous charges on shippers.

He said enforcement of the new regulatory regime needed to be strengthened to ensure that the law translated into lower costs and greater predictability for businesses.

Another gap, according to Ademuyiwa, was the absence of comprehensive data on the economic value of Nigeria’s ocean resources.

He said the country needed a national ocean account and publicly accessible, real-time port and marine-sector data to support evidence-based policymaking and investment decisions.

Ademuyiwa, however, stressed that the ultimate test of the blue economy agenda would be its impact on Nigerians through lower logistics costs, improved port efficiency, increased fish production, job creation and greater economic opportunities from the country’s marine resources.

He explained the Federal government must move beyond policy announcements and focus on delivering tangible economic benefits from Nigeria’s marine and blue economy,
Improved collaboration

The maritime sector has been proven to achieve success through Public-Private Partnership. Seafarers, port workers, ship operators and inspectors, terminal operators, regulatory and security agencies, all have a role to play in turning global maritime commitments into reality.

Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, said that with at least 80 per cent of international trade moving by sea, maritime shipping keeps the world afloat.

He pointed out that for nearly eight decades, countries had worked together to develop conventions and codes that made global seafaring more efficient, fair, sustainable and safe.

Guterres emphasised that this critical framework was under strain, as conflicts and geopolitical tensions were infringing on navigational rights and freedoms that must be restored.

According to him, the lives of seafarers are being threatened, and the global supply of fuel, fertilisers and food has been disrupted, noting that these shocks to the global economy have devastating consequences, especially for developing countries.

The UN chief said the theme speaks to the vital importance of adhering to international law and ensuring it is fully implemented.

Olubowale stressed that the government has an important role, but primarily as an enabler, regulator and facilitator, while the commercial engine must remain the private sector.

He said the government policy should create an enabling environment, which includes predictable regulation, competitive ports, access to finance, local-capacity development and transparent commercial frameworks.

Cargo owners, Olubowale pointed out, should provide commercial opportunities, while financial institutions should finance bankable projects.

He said competent private-sector operators should invest, acquire assets and deliver the services, describing this as a model of private-sector-led, regulator-enabled and development-focused maritime growth.

Olubowale therefore called for continued dialogue among policymakers, cargo owners, shipowners, terminal operators, financial institutions and other industry stakeholders, noting that sustainable maritime development requires decision-makers across the entire value chain to work toward common economic objectives.