NIMASA Intensifies Enforcement of Cabotage Trade Requirements for Nigerian Participation

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has announced a stepped-up enforcement of regulations designed to ensure greater indigenous participation in Nigeria's cabotage trade and broader maritime activities. This initiative is being implemented through a new marine notice.

Under the enhanced enforcement regime, all entities involved in cabotage operations must utilize vessels that comply with Nigerian standards for ownership, registration, manning, and construction. These vessels must also be officially registered in the Special Register for Vessels and Ship Owning Companies Engaged in Cabotage.

NIMASA is also mandating that all vessels, owners, operators, charterers, managers, and other stakeholders maintain up-to-date statutory certificates, licenses, registrations, and other necessary documentation. The core requirements stipulate that cabotage vessels should be wholly owned by Nigerian citizens, duly registered, manned by Nigerian citizens, and ideally, built in Nigeria.

Exceptions for deploying vessels that do not meet these criteria will only be considered if the necessary Nigerian capacity is unavailable and NIMASA has verified these statutory conditions. The agency reiterated its commitment to monitoring compliance with the Cabotage Act and its associated regulations, aiming to ensure that employment opportunities within the sector are reserved for Nigerians and not outsourced. This move reinforces NIMASA's dedication to fostering local maritime capacity and ensuring that cabotage operations contribute significantly to Nigeria's economic development.