The Emergence of Nigerian Maritime Cabotage Laws and the Future of Its Maritime Commerce

Nigerian maritime cabotage laws evolved to add efficiency to the country's maritime industry, especially in the area of indigenous fleet expansion, ship building and human capacity development. The aim was to curtail foreign dominance and unequal competition by non-Nigerian operators. Since the enactment of the Cabotage Act, attempt at successful and beneficial implementation could not be achieved due to regulatory inadequacies. What is obtainable now includes foreign dominance, unfair competition, policy failure, institutional ineffectiveness, absent of stable local capacity, regulatory problems, fiscal deficiencies, lack of political will by the government. In view of these inadequacies, appropriate remedial regulatory measures need be considered. These include regulatory overhaul or ample review of all extant maritime laws which are no more relevant in a cabotage regime. There is need for institutional reforms which will engender adequate and effective monitoring and enforcement. Fiscal and financial legal framework needs to be put in place to strengthen this inadequate and weak policy. This article submits that, cabotage laws which are supposed to be the framework of transformation from foreign to indigenous dominance of coastal shipping, have fallen short of the intended objectives. It therefore requires proper and adequate review to cure the obvious defects.