WAF Shipping Focus: Week 36
Despite over N595 million provision in the 2026 Federal Government budget for agencies under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy for waterway clearing and wrecks removal, stakeholders in Nigeria’s inland waterways sector have called for stronger private-sector participation to tackle the persistent accumulation of marine litter, floating and underwater debris and other navigational impediments.
The call followed the National Inland Waterways Authority’s (NIWA) collaboration with a private firm, Parts Central to address marine litter and debris on Lagos waterways, with stakeholders describing the partnership as a welcome development that could complement government’s regulatory and financial interventions.
Read more: https://shippingposition.com.ng/96038-2/
Stakeholders in the Nigerian maritime sector have said the country’s ports still lag behind neighbouring ports such as Cotonou and Lome in terms of competitiveness, despite Nigeria’s advantage in market size, cargo volume and traffic.
The stakeholders spoke ahead of the upcoming Annual Maritime Lecture (MAMAL) 2026 organised by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), with the theme, “Nigeria Ports Modernisation, Charges and the Competitiveness Question.”
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has directed the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the 12 approved Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs) to fast-track the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) to qualified Nigerian shipowners.
The directive is aimed at ending more than two decades of delays in accessing the fund and strengthening indigenous participation in Nigeria’s maritime industry.
The Federal Government’s ongoing reforms in the maritime sector appear to be yielding positive results, as cargo throughput at Nigerian ports rose by 12.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, alongside significant increases in vessel, container and vehicle traffic.
The latest performance figures were contained in the Nigerian Ports Authority’s (NPA) Operational Performance Report for the Second Quarter of 2026, which showed broad-based growth across major port activity indicators.
According to the report, total cargo throughput increased from 31,825,592 metric tonnes recorded in the second quarter of 2025 to 35,740,362 metric tonnes in Q2 2026, representing a 12.3 per cent increase.
Read more: https://shippingposition.com.ng/fg-reforms-nigerian-ports-records-12-3-rise-in-cargo-throughput/
Nigeria has taken a major step towards expanding its maritime infrastructure, after the Federal Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with global terminal operator APM Terminals for the development of the proposed Badagry Deep Seaport.
The agreement was signed in Copenhagen on Monday, September 7, 2026, during an official visit by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, who led a Federal Government delegation to Denmark to strengthen maritime cooperation and attract more investment into Nigeria’s ports.
The MoU commits both parties to exclusive negotiations on the development of the greenfield Badagry Deep-Seaport project.
The Governing Board of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, led by its Chairman, Engr. Kehinde Olayinka Akinola, paid a working visit to the management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) at the Agency’s Corporate Headquarters in Lagos.
The Director General NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, in his speech noted that effective collaboration between MAN, Oron and NIMASA is key to the development of training of seafarers in Nigeria.
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