Funso OLOJO Editor 

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) will host a two-part stakeholder webinar on October 6 and 8, 2026, to showcase the ongoing automation of the Nigerian Ship Registry as part of efforts to modernise ship registration services and enhance the competitiveness of the Nigerian flag.

The webinars will provide shipowners, operators, maritime professionals, financial institutions, insurers and other stakeholders with insights into the new digital registration platform and its potential to significantly improve the speed, transparency and efficiency of ship registration and related services.

The automated system is designed to enable 24/7 access to registration services, streamline application and approval processes, and facilitate faster issuance of electronic certificates, thereby reducing administrative delays associated with conventional paper-based procedures.

A key feature of the platform is its capacity to provide secure, real-time tracking of ship mortgages and related registry transactions. This will strengthen transparency and provide greater visibility for stakeholders, including financial institutions and other parties involved in vessel financing.

The automation initiative is also expected to make interaction with the Nigerian Ship Registry more seamless for local and international shipowners, while improving the Agency’s ability to deliver efficient, responsive and globally competitive flag-state services.

Speaking on the initiative, the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, said the automation of the Ship Registry was part of the Agency’s broader commitment to transforming the Nigerian flag and creating an enabling environment for increased participation in the global shipping industry.

“The automation of the Nigerian Ship Registry represents a significant step in our commitment to providing efficient, transparent and globally competitive services to shipowners and other maritime stakeholders.

“Our objective is to make the Nigerian flag more accessible, responsive and attractive through technology-driven processes that meet international standards,” Mobereola declared.

The ongoing user-testing phase is focused on validating the platform’s functionality, security and user experience ahead of its official deployment.

NIMASA said the webinars would also provide an opportunity for stakeholders to understand the platform, experience its key features and provide feedback as the Agency moves towards full implementation.

The Agency is inviting shipowners, ship managers, maritime professionals, financial institutions, insurers, legal practitioners, classification societies and other interested stakeholders to participate in the webinars.

Monday Discourse with Nasiru Ibrahim 

Nigeria has a very long coastline, but we have ignored our oceans for decades. Our major sea gateways, from Apapa to Port Harcourt, are mostly built to handle crude oil exports and heavy manufacturing containers.

Meanwhile, the local fishing industry—which has the capacity to feed the entire nation and create vast wealth—has been left to survive entirely on its own.

This is why the recent announcement by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, makes a lot of sense.

Speaking through a representative at the National Conference on Sustainable Fishing in Lagos, the NPA boss stated that Nigeria plans to build a specialized fishing port to finally harness the true value of our ocean resources.

As the country tries to grow its marine and blue economy, this move is completely long overdue.

For a very long time, Nigeria has suffered from an intense oil blindness, focusing all investments on petroleum while ignoring the massive economic potential floating right on our waters.

Right now, our deep seas are teeming with valuable fish, but because we lack proper docks, specialized marine structures, and secure landing sites for large fishing vessels, foreign ships enter our territory and steal our marine resources every single year.

A dedicated fishing port will change this entirely. It will give our local operators and commercial fishing trawlers a safe, modern, and legally protected base to harvest, dock, and process their catch.

Instead of letting foreign poachers dominate our waters, a specialized port ensures that Nigeria profits directly from its own geographical blessings.

We cannot talk about maritime infrastructure without looking at the kitchen table, especially since the average Nigerian family is facing a massive food crisis.

Severe inflation has turned basic proteins like fish and beef into luxury items that ordinary people can no longer afford.

A specialized fishing port will help fix this supply chain problem. The NPA’s plan involves creating dedicated fish terminals equipped with modern cold-room facilities, meaning local fishermen can preserve their catch immediately without it spoiling on the high seas.

When fish can be safely stored and transported into local markets without rotting, the overall supply goes up. When supply goes up, the price goes down, helping ordinary citizens put affordable protein back on their dining tables.

Furthermore, a modern fishing port is much more than just a place to park boats; it is a full-scale industrial business hub.

Building a specialized facility will spark immediate economic activity along our coastlines, naturally attracting seafood processing factories, boat repair yards, ice-making companies, and specialized transport networks.

This infrastructure will create thousands of genuine jobs for young people, refrigeration technicians, boat mechanics, and market women who dominate the local seafood trade. It bridges the gap between rural, traditional fishing and modern, industrial maritime commerce, bringing life back to struggling coastal communities.

The NPA has presented a great vision, and using a Public-Private Partnership model to fund it is a smart strategy.

But as Nigerians, we know our main problem is never a shortage of good plans—it is making those plans actually happen on the ground.

If this fishing port is going to transform our economy, the government must move quickly from conference papers to physical construction. We need to see real investments start on our coastlines.

Utilizing our ocean resources is one of the smartest ways to build a country that does not rely solely on oil. It is time to stop looking at our waters as just shipping lanes, and start treating them as the goldmines they really are.

Ibrahim Nasiru, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja.

Gloria Odion Maritime reporter 

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has stepped up measures to dismantle bottlenecks constraining Nigeria’s non-oil exports, as it moves to expand export channels, improve cargo processing and strengthen the country’s capacity to earn foreign exchange from international trade.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, disclosed this at the NPA Special Day during the 21st Abuja International Trade Fair (AITF), organised by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI).

The trade fair was held under the theme, “Resilience, Trade, Taxation and the Economy.”

Dantsoho said the Authority was strengthening port infrastructure while extending maritime logistics into the hinterland to enable businesses across the country to access international markets more efficiently.

He said Nigeria’s economic resilience could no longer depend predominantly on imports and crude oil revenues, stressing that a significant expansion of non-oil exports and deeper integration of Nigerian businesses into global value chains were critical to sustainable economic growth.

According to him, efficient infrastructure, predictable fiscal policies and seamless supply chains remain indispensable to creating a resilient and competitive trading environment.

A major component of the NPA’s strategy, he said, was the integration of Inland Dry Ports (IDPs) into the national port logistics chain following the Federal Government’s approval transferring their management and development functions to the NPA.

Dantsoho said the development would bring port services closer to businesses located far from Nigeria’s coastal ports, particularly exporters in northern and central Nigeria.

He explained that businesses in locations such as Abuja would be able to move export cargo through inland logistics facilities, reducing the burden and cost associated with transporting raw commodities to coastal ports before completing port clearance and documentation.

“By bringing Inland Dry Ports under the operational purview of the NPA, exporters in northern and central Nigeria, including right here in Abuja, no longer need to move raw commodities to coastal ports before undergoing port clearance and documentation,” he said.

The NPA boss also highlighted the Authority’s interventions through dedicated Export Processing Terminals (EPTs), describing them as an important component of efforts to remove procedural and logistical barriers confronting exporters.

He said the terminals provide one-stop facilities where critical export processes, including sorting, packaging, quality certification and customs documentation, can be completed before cargo is transferred to seaport terminals.

According to Dantsoho, the initiative is helping to streamline the export chain and improve the ability of Nigerian producers to meet international market and delivery requirements.

He said the measures were already contributing to increased export activities, particularly in agricultural commodities and solid minerals.

Dantsoho identified commodities such as cocoa, sesame seeds, cashew nuts and hibiscus, as well as solid minerals, among products recording increased export activity over the past two years.

He said more efficient export channels would boost the confidence of international buyers in Nigerian products while creating a stronger pipeline for foreign exchange inflows.

The NPA chief executive consequently urged operators in agriculture, manufacturing, processing and solid minerals to take advantage of the emerging export infrastructure and increase their participation in international trade.

“To our prospective businessmen and entrepreneurs, now is the time to embrace export trade,” he said.

He assured exporters that the NPA would continue to improve port services and extend maritime logistics to different parts of the country, with the objective of creating a trade-enabling environment in which businesses, regardless of their size or location, could compete effectively in global markets.

Dantsoho maintained that the integration of inland logistics with seaport operations would make export trade more accessible, predictable and commercially viable for businesses across Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called for deeper collaboration with the NPA to facilitate trade, unlock investment opportunities and strengthen the connection between Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure and the wider business community.

The ACCI Director-General, Agabaidu Jideani, made the call at the NPA Day held during the 21st AITF.

Jideani said stronger engagement between the NPA and the organised private sector was essential to improving the ease of doing business, strengthening supply chains and expanding Nigeria’s participation in domestic, regional and international trade.

He noted that the efficiency, accessibility and competitiveness of Nigerian ports had direct implications for importers, exporters, manufacturers, distributors, logistics operators, retailers and other businesses.

“The efficiency, accessibility and competitiveness of Nigeria’s ports have direct implications for importers, exporters, manufacturers, distributors, logistics operators, retailers and numerous other businesses across our sectoral groups,” he said.

The ACCI chief said the Chamber was particularly interested in strengthening the connection between businesses in the Federal Capital Territory and the national and international trade ecosystem.

He said the Chamber could provide a platform for businesses to communicate operational challenges directly to the NPA, while the Authority could use the engagement to educate the private sector on port operations, trade facilitation initiatives, procedures and opportunities within the maritime sector.

Jideani commended the NPA for participating in the Abuja International Trade Fair, describing the NPA Day not simply as an exhibition activity but as an opportunity for dialogue, stakeholder engagement and partnership.

He said ACCI was ready to deepen its relationship with the NPA through policy dialogues, business forums, sensitisation programmes, capacity-building initiatives and other mutually beneficial engagements.

According to him, such collaboration would help create more efficient trade channels and strengthen economic linkages across sectors.

Jideani also described the Abuja International Trade Fair as an important platform for bringing together businesses, investors, government agencies, diplomatic missions, financial institutions and development partners to showcase products, establish commercial partnerships, explore markets and deliberate on issues affecting the economy.

He said stronger cooperation between institutions such as the NPA and the organised private sector was indispensable to improving Nigeria’s trading environment.

“As we celebrate the 21st edition under the theme ‘Resilience, Trade, Taxation and the Economy,’ we recognise that stronger collaboration between institutions such as the NPA and the organised private sector is essential to improving the ease of doing business, strengthening supply chains and enhancing Nigeria’s participation in domestic, regional and international trade,” he said.

Jideani said ACCI looked forward to building a stronger and sustained relationship with the NPA to support businesses, facilitate trade, create new economic opportunities and enhance the competitiveness of the Nigerian economy.