Maritime Lawyers urge Tinubu to fast-track Port Regulatory Agency Bill
Maritime lawyers have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to expedite assent to the Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency Bill. President, Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA), Chief Michael Igbokwe, SAN, made the call at the 18th International Maritime Seminar for Justices, held at Abuja Continental Hotel, on Wednesday. Igbokwe said implementation of the bill would […]
Maritime lawyers have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to expedite assent to the Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency Bill.
President, Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA), Chief Michael Igbokwe, SAN, made the call at the 18th International Maritime Seminar for Justices, held at Abuja Continental Hotel, on Wednesday.
Igbokwe said implementation of the bill would accelerate reforms in the nation’s maritime sector and enable Nigerians to reap the full benefits of ongoing port modernization efforts.
He said the bill, which seeks to establish an independent economic regulator for Nigeria’s Ports, had been forwarded to the president on two occasions, appealing that it should be signed into law without further delay.
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He noted that the proposed legislation would empower the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to effectively carry out its regulatory mandate, improve efficiency in port operations and strengthen investor confidence in the maritime sector.
Igbokwe said, “We call on Mr President to speed up the granting of assent to the Nigerian Port Authority Regularity Bill, which has come to him twice for assent.
“It’s implementation by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council could speed up and the Nigerian Government and Nigerians could start enjoying the full benefits of that deal.”
He also urged the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to establish an admiralty registry and further strengthen admiralty division of the court in line with the provisions of the Admiralty Jurisdiction Procedure Rules 2023, arguing that specialized judicial structure are essential for the speedy resolution of maritime disputes.
Speaking, the Minister of Maritime and Blue Economy, Adeboyega Oyetola, said over the past three years the Tinubu administration has worked “assiduously to lay the institutional, regulatory and economic foundations of a thriving marine economy.”
Oyetola said, “We have developed Nigeria’s first-ever national policy on marine economy to provide a coherent framework for sustainable sectoral development.
“Through the globally acclaimed DPU project, Nigeria has successfully eliminated piracy within its territorial waters for four consecutive years, transforming our maritime domain into one that is significantly safer for international navigation and commerce.”
In his remarks, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, said that the Renewed Hope Agenda has made the Blue Economy a strategic priority.
He added that the Federal Government is committed to unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s maritime domain, “not only as a trade corridor, but as a driver of employment, investment and economic diversification”.