N1.8trn Boom: Nigeria’s Maritime Sector Hits Record High as African Judges Convene in Abuja
By Victor Idajili
Nigeria’s maritime sector has recorded its highest revenue to date, with combined earnings from maritime agencies climbing by over 160 percent to more than N1.8 trillion in 2025.
The announcement was made on Wednesday in Abuja at the opening of the 18th International Maritime Seminar for Judges, a three-day forum hosted by the National Judicial Institute and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council. Judicial officers from Nigeria and five other African countries are attending the event, which organizers say has for more than 30 years served as West Africa’s leading platform for training judges on maritime and admiralty law.
The seminar began in December 1995. According to the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, its continued holding reflects institutional commitment rather than routine. He said that over the 18 editions, the forum has done more than any single legislation to bridge the gap between the rapid changes in maritime trade and the capacity of Nigerian courts to respond to them. Many of the judges who participated in the early editions now sit on the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, and he noted that current admiralty judgments bear the influence of the learning from the seminar.
Officials used the opening to highlight progress recorded in the sector in recent years. Under the Federal Government’s Deep Blue Project, Nigeria has gone four years without any recorded case of piracy in its waters. In terms of infrastructure, the government also secured a £746 million agreement with the United Kingdom to modernize the Apapa and Tin Can ports, described as the most ambitious upgrade to the country’s ports in nearly five decades.
On the international front, Nigeria has returned to Category C of the IMO Council after 15 years. The category places the country in the principal decision-making body of the International Maritime Organization. Domestically, fish production has increased from 1.1 million to 1.4 million metric tonnes, while the government has approved the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund to support indigenous ship owners.
Speakers at the event linked the growth in revenue to the efficiency of the judiciary. They argued that delays in cargo claims, weak enforcement of shipping contracts, and unresolved disputes often translate into higher costs for businesses and consumers. The Chairman described the seminar as a practical investment rather than an academic exercise, stressing that its value lies in improved decisions from admiralty courts and the confidence it builds among international shipping partners.
Discussions during the seminar will cover the Admiralty Jurisdiction Procedure Rules 2023, ship financing, mortgages and the sale of ships, marine cargo claims, maritime dispute resolution, and issues around demurrage, detention and storage charges. Organizers said Nigeria is positioning itself to become a leading center for maritime dispute resolution on the continent.
The forum is being held under the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, which was created by President Bola Tinubu in November 2023 as part of efforts to diversify the economy. In attendance are Chief Justices and senior judges from Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Kenya and Liberia. Their participation, organizers said, has helped transform the seminar from a national initiative into a pan-African platform.
Regulatory agencies including NIMASA, the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, together with the Federal High Court, are also part of the discussions aimed at aligning policy, data and adjudication.
The goal, according to organizers, is to build a legal framework strong enough to support Nigeria’s ambition to serve as West Africa’s maritime and trade gateway.
