Stakeholders push legal overhaul to boost Nigeria’s maritime competitiveness

By Grace Edet

The country risks losing competitiveness in global trade unless it urgently modernises its multimodal transport laws, strengthens enforcement systems, and improves inter-agency coordination, maritime industry stakeholders and legal experts have warned.
The concerns were raised at the 16th Annual Lecture and AGM of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA) in Lagos, where regulators, maritime lawyers, security officials and policymakers examined the legal gaps slowing Nigeria’s logistics and Blue Economy ambitions.
The event, themed “The Future of Multimodal Transportation in Global Trade”, focused on evolving carriage regimes and the urgent need for legal certainty.
NMLA President, Funke Agbor (SAN), said the gathering reflects the industry’s growing resolve to address outdated frameworks. She described it as a “rich congregation of ideas, bridging theory and practice, strengthening our profession’s capacity and reinforcing the role of maritime law within Nigeria’s dynamic and growing maritime industry.”
According to her, Nigerian maritime laws must be “fit for purpose, modern, integrated and enforceable.”
Delivering the keynote on behalf of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, Oyindamola Ade-Alli of the Lagos State Waterways Authority warned that the country’s transport systems are evolving faster than the laws guiding them.
Oduwole noted that “Transport systems across sea, road, air, rail, and inland waterways are evolving faster than the legal frameworks that support them. As maritime lawyers and policymakers, we must bridge this gap.”
She stressed that Nigeria’s Blue Economy aspirations—including ports, maritime services, inland waterways, fisheries, and offshore activities—depend heavily on investor-friendly and technology-enabled legislation. Citing the Rotterdam Rules as a model, Oduwole called for a framework that supports single multimodal contracts, electronic documentation, fair liability structures, and transparent enforcement.
Enforcement, she said, must be “transparent, predictable and technologically enabled.”
During a panel session moderated by Michael Abiiba of Bloomfield LP, participants dissected the country’s fragmented transport laws.
Bankole Sodipo (SAN) criticised the lack of a unified multimodal framework.
“We have issues such as lack of a single policy framework. Sometimes, who is going to be in charge is unclear,” he noted, warning that multiple laws across air, rail, road and maritime sectors create liability confusion.
Deputy Director of Legal Services at NIMASA, Aderonke Adekanye, said the Agency recognises the challenge and is working to strengthen collaboration. She emphasised that effective multimodal policy execution requires alignment with existing federal policies and deeper cooperation among regulators.
On judicial interpretation, Justice Ayokunle Olayinka Faji of the Federal High Court noted that the court has broad jurisdiction but faces uncertainty arising from the absence of a comprehensive law.
“Even though there is no tough court here, our jurisdiction extends from the time goods are placed on the ship to delivery to the consignee, whether or not there is an intervening land transportation,” he explained, urging judicial activism to bridge legal gaps.
AIG Chinedu Oko of the Marine Police outlined enforcement setbacks, including weak prosecution, cargo theft, and logistical constraints. He stressed the need for improved training and inter-agency synergy.
“One of the best ways to tackle this issue is to ensure personnel are trained on evidence gathering, from when we get to the crime scene to how we handle and present evidence,” he said.
Stakeholders agreed that Nigeria’s future in global trade and economic development depends not only on infrastructure but also on robust legal frameworks, clear carriage regimes, effective enforcement, and technology adoption.