NIMASA Intensifies Cabotage Enforcement: Protecting Nigerian Maritime Jobs and Capacity
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has signalled a significant ramp-up in its enforcement of the Cabotage regime, issuing a stern warning that non-compliant vessels and operators will face operational bans. This decisive action underscores the agency’s commitment to safeguarding jobs and business opportunities within Nigeria’s coastal shipping sector for Nigerian citizens and entities.
This enhanced enforcement drive is rooted in NIMASA’s statutory mandate, drawing authority from the NIMASA Act 2007, the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003, and associated regulations and implementation guidelines. The agency’s directive, communicated via a marine notice, mandates that all parties seeking vessels for Cabotage operations must engage only those that satisfy Nigeria’s stringent ownership, registration, manning, and construction criteria. Crucially, such vessels must also be listed on the Special Register for Vessels and Ship Owning Companies engaged in Cabotage.
NIMASA has further instructed all vessel owners, operators, charterers, managers, and other stakeholders involved in Cabotage activities to ensure the continuous validity of their statutory certificates, licences, registrations, and all other requisite documentation. The Cabotage Act stipulates that vessels operating within Nigeria’s coastal waters must, where feasible, be wholly owned by Nigerian citizens, registered in the designated Special Register, crewed by Nigerian nationals, and constructed within Nigeria.
While the regime prioritises indigenous participation, NIMASA acknowledged that foreign vessels may be considered solely in instances where the requisite Nigerian capacity is demonstrably unavailable, and only after the necessary statutory conditions have been formally established and verified by the agency. This measured approach aims to balance the imperative of local content development with the operational realities of the maritime industry.
The agency affirmed its ongoing commitment to vigilant monitoring of compliance with the Cabotage Act, its regulations, and guidelines. This proactive stance is designed to bolster maritime governance, prevent the displacement of Nigerian jobs by foreign operators, and foster the robust development of local maritime capacity. Ultimately, NIMASA aims to ensure that Cabotage operations contribute more substantially to Nigeria’s maritime and broader economic advancement, aligning with its overarching objective of promoting indigenous participation in both domestic and international shipping activities. The marine notice takes immediate effect.
