Nigeria – NIMASA Notice on Compliance with Cabotage Act 2003

The Club would like to draw the attention of Members who engage in coastal trading in Nigeria to a recent Notice issued by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). The Notice directs all vessels engaging in such trade to ensure compliance with the relevant laws, which includes ensuring that licenses are renewed, and applications for waivers when applicable, are made, timely. The law firm of Femi Atoyebi & Co has helpfully provided a summary of the relevant parts of the Cabotage Act, 2003, highlighting the level of fines which may be imposed and the potential detention or forfeiture of a foreign owned vessel were the vessel to fall foul of the law. The Club would like to thank Femi Atoyebi & Co for this summary. Both the summary and the Notice may be downloaded below.

The Club has also previously published guidance on the cabotage regimes in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Peru and the United States.