By Platform Reporters
The Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA) has joined the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the global maritime community in marking World Maritime Day 2026, with a call on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to accelerate the ratification and domestication of outstanding international maritime instruments.
This year’s observance is themed “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence” — the first time in IMO’s 76-year history that a World Maritime Day theme has been adopted for a two-year cycle, running through 2026 and 2027.
President of the NMLA, Mr. Mike Igbokwe, SAN, FCArb, FBR, said the theme underscores the urgency of moving beyond negotiation, preparation and ratification of maritime treaties toward genuine enforcement to attain maritime excellence.
According to Igbokwe, the practical question posed by the theme is whether maritime laws, conventions and policies have been improving what happens aboard ships, in ports, along coasts and throughout the supply chain.
“No doubt, excellence must be visible in safer voyages, protected seafarers, cleaner waters, efficient cargo movement and confidence in the enforcement of maritime rights,” he stated.
Igbokwe noted that maritime transportation faces demands of safety, security, decarbonisation and technological change which require more than agreement on standards. “Governments must give effect to their obligations; maritime administrations must have capacity to enforce them; and industry must invest in people, vessels and systems needed for compliance,” he said.
IMO Secretary-General: Implementation is Key
Quoting IMO Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez, the NMLA President said regulations only deliver safer, more resilient and cleaner shipping when they are implemented, stressing that seafarers must remain ultimate beneficiaries.
The observance, he noted, comes at a difficult moment for global shipping, with merchant vessels under attack in several conflict zones — from the Strait of Hormuz to the Black Sea and Sea of Azov — resulting in seafarer casualties and disruption to critical supply chains.
Nigeria’s IMO Council Seat
Igbokwe said Nigeria’s election to the IMO Council for the 2026-2027 biennium gives the country an important opportunity to contribute to global maritime decisions, and strengthens the case for leadership by the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and maritime agencies at home.
“Nigeria’s international voice will carry greater weight when signed or ratified maritime treaties are promptly domesticated, supported by effective implementation and monitoring,” he said.
Nigeria’s Maritime Journey
The NMLA President recalled Nigeria’s body of maritime laws — from the repealed National Shipping Policy Act, Nigerian Ports Authority Act, Cabotage Act 2003, Merchant Shipping Act 2007, Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act 2019, to the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Act, and ongoing work by NIMASA on STCW, ship finance, ship registration, and security in the Gulf of Guinea through the Deep Blue Project.
He said these efforts have contributed to measurable decline in piracy and armed robbery at sea within Nigerian waters.
However, he urged the National Assembly to quickly enact all maritime bills pending before it before the end of its tenure in May 2027.
Five Advocacy Points
NMLA, he said, will continue to advocate for:
1. Full and consistent implementation of the Cabotage Act, with decisive move away from waiver dependency toward genuine indigenous tonnage, shipbuilding and ownership capacity;
2. Strengthened enforcement of the SPOMO Act, with continued judicial capacity-building;
3. Deeper harmonisation between Nigerian maritime legislation and international conventions, particularly in ship registration, environmental compliance and seafarers’ welfare;
4. Sustained investment in maritime dispute resolution capacity, so that Lagos can compete credibly with established arbitration and admiralty centres including London;
5. Closer collaboration between the Nigerian Bar Association, Judiciary, NIMASA, Navy and industry stakeholders to ensure policy gains translate into predictable, enforceable outcomes.
Call to Action
On World Maritime Day, NMLA reaffirmed commitment to bridging gap between policy and practice and called on Federal Government, Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, National Assembly, NIMASA, NPA, NPERA, NIWA, CRFFN and courts to effectively implement and enforce maritime laws.
“We also extend our solidarity to seafarers everywhere, particularly those navigating conflict-affected waters, and reiterate that no framework of law is complete until it protects the men and women who keep global trade moving,” Igbokwe added.
