•Offenders may lose licences, given 30 days to self-audit processes
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has directed stakeholders operating or intending to operate in the country’s maritime domain to comply fully with proper vessel registration, valid certifications, updated ownership documentation and cabotage provisions.
The agency also directed the timely payment and remittance of all statutory levies and fees as prescribed by law, with operators required to present proofs of payment of all applicable levies and fees upon request.
The directives are directed to all ship/vessel owners, operators, managers, international and national oil companies, masters and officers of merchant ships, and shipping companies.
Others are shipping agents, charterers, offshore installations and platforms operators, vessel operators at the free trade zones (FTZ) and maritime stakeholders operating in the waters, mandating them to ensure full compliance with statutory requirements.
The directives were issued through a marine notice, pursuant to the agency’s statutory mandate under the NIMASA Act 2007, the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003, the Merchant Shipping Act 2007 and other applicable regulations.
This came as the agency has commenced special operational enforcement code-named ‘Operation Zero Tolerance for Non-Compliance’ in the Nigerian maritime domain as part of efforts to ensure full compliance with existing maritime laws and regulations.
To allow stakeholders the opportunity to regularise their operations, NIMASA has granted a 30-day window from January 5, 2026, for a self-audit and voluntary compliance.
NIMASA, as part of the enforcement process, said it would conduct random and targeted vessel inspections, verify documentation against its databases and carry out physical and documentary compliance assessments at ports, terminals and offshore locations.
The Director General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, warned that failure to comply after the expiration of the grace period would attract enforcement actions, including vessel detention, monetary penalties, withdrawal of waivers or operational licences and denial of port clearance until full compliance is achieved.
Mobereola assured all stakeholders of the Agency’s commitment to promoting indigenous shipping development, enhancing maritime safety and security, protecting the marine environment, and ensuring strict compliance with Nigeria’s maritime laws.
