Business
Transforming Ship Registry In Nigeria
Maritime nations all over the world evolve strategies and methodologies of modernising ship registry for the purpose of enhancing national tonnage.
In the pursuit of goal tonnage enhancement and transformation, nations adopt cut-edge technology both direct and indirect marketing of the national flag and other known effective methods in their registration of vessels.
Of course, every maritime country however adopt strategies that influence specific objectives of the country and such objectives are not expected to threaten the interest of global maritime.
Besides the drive for local tonnage to achieve desired goal, the maritime nation players have also adopted systems of close or open registry of vessels. The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) by the statute establishing it is responsible for organising, shipping activities and development. It was in consonance of this that late 2008, NIMASA made its intention known to the registration of ships in Nigeria.
The Nigerian ship registration office performs flag state responsibilities of NIMASA, as enshrined in Section 16 of the Merchant Shipping Act of 2007. Section 28 (2) of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Act, 2007 also established the office of the registrar of ship and that of the deputy registrar of ship.
The NIMASA ship registry unit conducts all flag registration duty from the head office location of the agency as guaranteed in its regulation.
NIMASA Act of 2007, in accordance with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) global practices, anticipates the efficiency of the Nigerian Ship Registration Office especially when operators can access the services from other operational location.
The creation of the office of the deputy registrars of ship, many believe is a demonstration of the agency’s commitment to structure the Nigerian ship registration office to reflect the changing trend in the modern international maritime operations.
The decision of the Agency to formally establish ship registration desks in Warri and Calabar was to complement registration service offered from Lagos and Port Harcourt as provided in the NIMASA Act of 2007.
By this development, the ship registration service in Nigeria have been taken to the door steps of vessel owners, even as it enables Nigerians in diaspora to take advantage of the increased accessibility offered by the decentralisation through any of the mentioned locations to fly the Nigerian flag.
Preliminary modernisation programmes and measures taken by the agency have resulted in the electronic up-load of over 3,200 vessels of different categories of data being integrated to the web link of the agency. Daily vessel registration details are transferred electronically to the data base with the aim of updating available web information.
NIMASA’s modernisation and transformation programmes could also be appreciated in the area of mutual sharing of vessels details between the agency and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The information sharing approach influences the NNPC and other international oil companies for Nigerian flagged vessels in the award of contract in the current cabotage regime.
The benefits for registration and decentralisation services include enhanced access to registration service, reduced cost of logistics particularly for up-country vessel owners and fast tracked vessels registration process amongst others.
Nigerian ship registration office has also developed relevant templates to guide applicants on-line. On completion of the automation process, applicants are expected to download relevant ship registration forms, upload required documents for vessels registration, effect payment of registration via an on-line payment engine as well as take delivery of provisional certificates of registry on-line.
However, the modernisation of the ship registration process has been extended to cabotage registration. Subject to applicant’s submission of all documents, the Nigerian ship registration office developed on-line templates to achieve cabotage registration of vessels in 48 hours.
The deployment of multi-skilled human capital by NIMASA is another strategy for meeting the technical, administrative and legal requirement. This move informed NIMASA to articulate a “Fly Nigeria” initiative embodying the genuine principles of safety, as a condition for flying the Nigerian flag.
The overall end result of the modernisation and transformation programme is the reformation of processes and procedures of flag state toward promoting efficiency and unparallel advisory services to the external public of the Nigerian ship registration office. Even at times, the Agency has not relented at directing its efforts at professionalising the ship registry as critical vehicle for service efficiency.
Staff of the registry office visit some foreign ship registries, including the Maritime and Coast Guard Agency of the United Kingdom and the Singaporean ship registry office as part of efforts to update knowledge and enhance service delivery.
Similarly, working attachments to the Panama, Hellenic and Malaysian ship registry was also pursued towards full professionalisation of the ship registry, to expose staff of Nigerian ship registry office to challenges of an ICT driven registration services.
Demonstrating commitment to global maritime safety, NIMASA’s efforts to approve the America-Bureau of Shipping, Bureau Veritas and Lloyds registry among others was seen as a welcome development to classify societies for conventional vessels of 500 tonnes and above.
Although much efforts have been made by the agency towards the transformation and modernisation of Nigerian ship registry, even as it was committed to eliminate delay of the past and engender new culture of professionalism and efficiency in service delivery, a lot more is needed to attain and sustain full transformation and modernisation of Nigeria flag ship registration.
In this era of cabotage, and with the quest to be one of the leading maritime nations, it may not be out of place for Nigeria to shift from theories to actual accomplishment goals in this direction.
The international players are on the watch to se Nigeria totally transformed and modernise her flag vessel registry, and the task is before NIMASA.
In a concerted effort to tackle racketeering and reduce inflated transportation costs in the Nigeria’s seaports, Trucks Transit Parks Ltd. (TTP) has trained Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders on the use of its Ètò electronic call-up system.
The training was held recently at Customs Processing Centre (CPC) Auditorium, Apapa, Lagos, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and supported by the leadership of the Joint Association of Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders (JALCAFF), Apapa Command.
Speaking at the event, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu expressed appreciation to TTP for facilitating the training and emphasized the need for customs agents to take personal ownership of the Ètò booking process.
“I want to thank TTP for this impactful training. I encourage all customs agents to begin doing their own bookings directly. By doing so, they can take back power from the unscrupulous elements exploiting their lack of knowledge, selling tickets at highly inflated prices,” Olomu declared.
He noted that empowering agents with hands-on training was key to dismantling racketeering networks that have plagued access to the ports and frustrated efficient logistics processes.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Apapa Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Chief Emeka Chukwumalu, said the engagement was critical to the ongoing push to reduce cargo transportation costs and ease business operations at the Apapa Port.
According to a freight forwarder, “The training is basically for us to have awareness of the operations of the Ètò call-up system through TTP. We also want to brainstorm on ways to reduce the high cost of cargo transportation in Apapa Port.
“This training opened our eyes to how simple it is to book tickets ourselves. We now know the right steps to follow and how to avoid falling victim to fraudsters.”
Earlier, Head of Operations at TTP, Mr. Irabor Akonoman, talked on common misconceptions about ticket pricing, reaffirming that the cost of Ètò bookings had remained consistent since its inception.
“The official price remains the same since inception. What people are paying higher amounts for is the manipulation by racketeers”.
Towards strengthening small businesses and promoting a more supportive regulatory environment, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) says it will hold the 2025 edition of its flagship MSMEs Fair on Tuesday (May 6, 2025).
The event, themed, “Galvanising MSMEs for Economic Growth and Stability”, will take place at NECA House in Lagos.
According to NECA’s Director-General, Mr Adewale Smatt Oyerinde, the fair seeks to provide micro, small, and medium enterprises with essential tools, resources, and strategic networks to thrive in Nigeria’s challenging business climate.
He emphasised the vital role MSMEs play in national development, describing them as the “lifeblood of Nigeria’s economy.”
Oyerinde noted that the fair is designed to offer entrepreneurs practical solutions to navigate economic uncertainties, regulatory hurdles, and business scalability issues.
A major attraction of this year’s event is the keynote address by the CEO of FATE Foundation, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, a prominent advocate for MSME development.
She is expected to share transformative insights on innovative strategies for sustaining and growing small businesses in Nigeria.
A unique feature of the fair will be interactive sessions with key regulatory bodies. Entrepreneurs will engage directly with agencies responsible for licensing, compliance, taxation, and business registration.
NECA said these sessions aim to demystify bureaucratic processes and foster a more enabling business environment.
It also said the fair will provide a platform for entrepreneurs to exhibit their products and services, connect with potential investors, and explore new markets.
It added that participants would gain critical knowledge on digital transformation, access to finance, and strategies for sustainable business growth.
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· NECA stressed that the fair aligns with its broader mission of promoting enterprise development and economic resilience.
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· “By empowering MSMEs with the right support and information, the organisation aims to stimulate job creation, innovation, and long-term economic stability”, NECA said.
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· The 2025 MSMEs Fair is expected to attract a wide range of stakeholders, including financiers, tech experts, regulators, and industry leaders, all united in advancing the growth of Nigeria’s MSME sector.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, says over two million passengers have been transported on the Blue Line Rail since its launch, while state-run buses move an average of 42,000 commuters daily.
Osiyemi, who disclosed this during the Year 2025 Ministerial press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, on Tuesday, noted that the Lagos State Transport Policy, launched in May 2024, was now in its implementation phase, focusing on inclusivity, safety, affordability, and sustainability.
“On rail development, Phase One of the Blue Line (Marina to Mile 2) has served over two million passengers, with Phase Two (Mile 2 to Okokomaiko) in progress.
“Phase One of the Red Line (Agbado to Oyingbo) is now operational with eight stations and additional rolling stocks procured, while Phase two (Oyingbo to link Blue Line at National Theatre) is underway”, he said.
The Commissioner said in the state-owned bus operations, over 60 million commuters have been served since 2019, with daily ridership exceeding 40,000.
He also said plans were on to deploy new buses with Quality Bus Corridors under construction, adding that the Abule=Egba Bus Terminal had also been commissioned.
“For water transport, 15 locally-built Omibus Ferries have been launched and are in operation, with the Ijegun Egba Terminal now open.
“The OMI EKO project, in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), will deliver 25 terminals and 78 electric ferries.
“Over 280,000 passengers have used ferry services in the past year, and 12 boats have been upgraded to meet safety standards”, he said.
On road infrastructure and traffic management, the Commissioner said 49 junction improvement projects had been completed, including ongoing ones at Ikorodu, Iju, as well as Allen-Opebi-Toyin axis.
He added that solar-powered Traffic Signal Lights, road markings covering 67.9km, new medians, laybys, and 3,941 parking lots had also been provided.
Additionally, Osiyemi announced that the deployed Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras had detected over 470,000 traffic violations and that the Vehicle Inspection Service issued over one million roadworthiness certificates.
He also said that the Lagos State Drivers’ Institute trained more than 32,000 drivers in the past 13 months.
The event marked the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term, showcasing major strides in the transport sector under the THEMES+ agenda.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos