NIMASA Tightens Cabotage Enforcement To Protect Local Shipowners, Detains Four Vessels

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has intensified enforcement of Nigeria’s Cabotage regulations, detaining four vessels over alleged non-compliance as part of efforts to protect indigenous shipowners and strengthen local participation in coastal shipping.

The vessels, identified as MT HOLMES, MT FUJAIRAH ENERGY, JS GRATITUDE and MT BORA, were detained within the Lagos maritime domain during a targeted enforcement operation code-named Operation Sea Guardian.

NIMASA said some of the vessels had since been released after regularising their infractions, while warning that enforcement activities would become more frequent and operators found violating maritime regulations would face stiff sanctions.

The operation was designed to strengthen compliance with Cabotage obligations, verify the payment of applicable surcharges and levies, and ensure adherence to other relevant maritime regulations governing coastal and inland shipping.

According to the agency, the exercise deployed assets under the Deep Blue Project to track, board and inspect vessels identified through intelligence reports and surveillance profiling.

The operation involved coordinated efforts by NIMASA enforcement personnel, the Nigerian Navy, the Maritime Guard Command and C4i intelligence personnel.

The agency explained that vessels considered to have a high likelihood of defaulting on Cabotage obligations were identified and prioritised for further scrutiny through intelligence-driven surveillance.

The vessels were subsequently added to an expanded Target Bank established during an earlier enforcement operation. The database serves as a central repository of vessels of interest and guides the planning and deployment of resources towards high-risk targets.

Speaking on the exercise, NIMASA’s Director-General, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, said the operation was part of the agency’s commitment to enforcing indigenous participation in Nigeria’s coastal and inland trade.

He warned operators against violating the law, stressing that the agency would sustain its enforcement drive to ensure compliance with the country’s maritime regulations.

“We had earlier served notice of enhanced enforcement of indigenous participation in our coastal and inland trade and this is exactly what we are doing. It is therefore in the interest of operators to ensure total compliance because defaulters will be visited with stiff sanctions in line with the law,” Mobereola said.

The latest operation follows a marine notice issued by NIMASA on August 26, 2026, reiterating the conditions for participating in Cabotage trade under the agency’s statutory mandate to develop indigenous capacity in international and coastal shipping.

In the notice, the agency warned that any vessel, company, operator, charterer or other stakeholder found to have breached the Cabotage Act or any applicable requirement would face enforcement action in accordance with the law.

The agency said the renewed enforcement drive aimed to ensure compliance with the regulatory framework governing coastal shipping and to promote indigenous participation in the sector.