WAF Shipping Focus: Week 39
Nigeria’s maritime sector on Thursday failed to mark the 2026 World Maritime Day. There was an unusual atmosphere of silence, with no major Federal Government-led celebration taking place across the country. This perhaps made stakeholders to question the significance of the annual ceremony, without corresponding improvements in the sector.
Although the 2026 celebration could still be organised at a later date, stakeholders said the development provides an opportunity for the Federal Government and maritime agencies to reflect on whether the annual World Maritime Day ceremonies have produced meaningful and measurable impact on the Nigerian maritime industry.
Read more: https://shippingposition.com.ng/world-maritime-day-nigeria-marks-global-maritime-day-in-silence/
Findings by Shipping Position Daily have revealed that importers now have stronger protection against losses arising from professional errors in cargo insurance arrangements, following a new requirement compelling insurance brokers to maintain a minimum professional indemnity cover of N100 million under the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025.
The development comes amid the increasing importance of insurance in Nigeria’s maritime and import trade, where cargo owners depend on insurance arrangements to mitigate risks associated with the movement and handling of goods through the international supply chain.
The Nigerian Navy has recovered 33,800 litres of petroleum products in the Niger Delta amid its sustained pressure on crude oil theft and other illegal refining activities under Operation DELTA SENTINEL.
This is contained in an operational report by the Director of Naval Information, Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, made available to journalists on Sunday in Abuja.
Folorunsho said the operation was led by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH, a unit under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, on Friday.
The federal government has approved the comprehensive modernisation and upgrade of Onne, Rivers, Delta and Calabar ports.
Adegboyega Oyetola, minister of marine and blue economy, announced in a post on X, saying the approval builds on the earlier plan to modernise and upgrade Apapa and Tin Can Island ports in Lagos.
He said the move is part of efforts to develop a balanced, efficient and globally competitive national port system.
The Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) has pledged full cooperation with the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) in its ongoing review of salary structures and workforce requirements across Federal Government agencies.
The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of NPERA, Dr Pius Akutah, MON, gave the assurance when the newly constituted Governing Board of the NSIWC paid a familiarisation visit to the Agency’s headquarters in Lagos.
The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has warned that the high cost and inefficiencies associated with cargo movement through Nigerian ports could undermine the country’s ambition to emerge as a global trading hub.
The National President of ANLCA, Mr Emenike Nwokeoji, who raised the concern at the association’s 72nd anniversary celebration in Lagos on Tuesday, called for a coordinated reform of the port system to tackle congestion, cargo examination delays, access road challenges, truck movement, storage charges, demurrage, detention and multiple regulatory interventions.
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