WAF Shipping Focus: Week 42
In a bid to strengthen bi-lateral cooperation on fisheries governance, sustainable fisheries management and the fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing between Nigeria and Ghana, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola has visited Ghana, where he met with the Ghanaian Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Hon. Emelia Arthur in Accra.
The Director-General of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA), Dr. Akutah Pius has called for stronger collaboration with the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to enhance data privacy, security, and responsible data management in the port economic regulatory sector.
Dr. Akutah made the call when the National Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, and his team paid a courtesy visit to the NPERA’s Abuja Liaison Office.
Read more: https://shippingposition.com.ng/npera-dg-seeks-collaboration-with-data-protection-commission/
The Federal Government says it is prioritising the modernisation of Onne, Warri and Calabar ports to reduce congestion at Lagos ports, lower logistics costs and boost economic activities across the country.
Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, disclosed this on Friday in Lagos at the 2026 World Maritime Day celebration.
Oyetola said that the initiative was part of President Bola Tinubu’s Blue Economy agenda to reposition the maritime sector as a major contributor to national revenue and economic growth.
Three months after the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) launched its online Seafarer Discharge Book Management Portal, maritime stakeholders have confirmed that the platform is working, with some cadets successfully processing their applications online and collecting their discharge books from the Agency’s office.
The stakeholders’ assessment comes against the backdrop of previous findings by Shipping Position Daily that some Nigerian seafarers allegedly paid between N120,000 and N250,000 to obtain discharge books officially priced at about N12,000, amidst allegations of extortion and racketeering in the process.
The Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Act 2026 empowers the agency to inspect port operators’ accounts, books, digital systems and shipment records without prior notice, while mandating registration and tariff filings for regulated service providers and introducing a one per cent import levy as part of its funding framework.
Under the new law, violations could attract heavy fines, suspension, blacklisting, licence revocation and criminal prosecution.
Nigerian shipowners seeking to benefit from the long-awaited Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) are facing a critical hurdle, as access depends on their ability to secure bank guarantees, a requirement that could determine how quickly indigenous operators obtain funds to acquire and expand their fleet.
Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dayo Mobereola, disclosed this on Friday during an interview on the sidelines of the 2026 World Maritime Day celebration, explaining that some shipowners who have applied for the fund are currently engaging banks to meet the guarantee requirements.
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