‘Blue Economy at risk without modern transport laws’

The country’s ambitions in the Blue Economy may remain out of reach unless it modernises its multimodal transport laws and strengthens enforcement structures, maritime experts and legal practitioners have warned.

The concern was raised at the 16th Annual Lecture and AGM of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA) in Lagos, where regulators, maritime lawyers, security officials and policymakers examined how outdated laws and fragmented regulatory frameworks are weakening the country’s competitiveness in global logistics.

The event, themed “The Future of Multimodal Transportation in Global Trade”, focused on evolving carriage regimes and underscored the urgent need for clearer, modern legal structures to support Nigeria’s multimodal transport system.

NMLA President, Funke Agbor (SAN), said the gathering reflects a renewed industry resolve to confront long-standing legal gaps.

She described the meeting as a “rich congregation of ideas, bridging theory and practice, strengthening our profession’s capacity and reinforcing the role of maritime law within Nigeria’s dynamic and growing maritime industry.”

She stressed that Nigerian maritime laws must be “fit for purpose, modern, integrated and enforceable.”

Delivering the keynote on behalf of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, Oyindamola Ade-Alli of the Lagos State Waterways Authority warned that Nigeria’s transport systems are evolving faster than the laws guiding them.

Oduwole noted that “Transport systems across sea, road, air, rail, and inland waterways are evolving faster than the legal frameworks that support them. As maritime lawyers and policymakers, we must bridge this gap.”

She added that the success of Nigeria’s Blue Economy — spanning ports, inland waterways, maritime services, offshore activities and coastal tourism, depends on clear, investor-friendly legislation.

Citing the Rotterdam Rules as a benchmark, she called for a framework enabling single multimodal contracts, electronic documentation, fair liability rules and seamless dispute resolution.

Enforcement, she said, must be “transparent, predictable and technologically enabled.”

A panel session moderated by Michael Abiiba of Bloomfield LP dissected Nigeria’s fragmented transport laws and the resulting enforcement drawbacks.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Bankole Sodipo, faulted the absence of a unified multimodal framework.

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“We have issues such as a lack of a single policy framework. Sometimes, who is going to be in charge is unclear,” he said, warning that overlapping laws complicate liability allocation.

Deputy Director of Legal Services at NIMASA, Aderonke Adekanye, said the agency is working to strengthen collaboration across regulators. She noted that implementing multimodal transport policy requires alignment with federal frameworks and improved inter-agency cooperation.

On judicial interpretation, Justice Ayokunle Olayinka Faji of the Federal High Court said the court has broad jurisdiction over multimodal disputes, but legal uncertainties persist due to a lack of comprehensive legislation.

“Even though there is no tough court here, our jurisdiction extends from the time goods are placed on the ship to delivery to the consignee, whether or not there is an intervening land transportation,” he said, urging judicial activism to bridge gaps.

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Maritime, AIG Chinedu Oko, highlighted enforcement challenges, including cargo theft, inadequate prosecution systems, and logistical constraints.

“One of the best ways to tackle this issue is to ensure personnel are trained on evidence gathering, from when we get to the crime scene to how we handle and present evidence,” he said.

Stakeholders unanimously agreed that the country’s maritime future will depend not only on port expansion and infrastructure spending but on a robust, modern legal foundation supported by clear carriage regimes, stronger enforcement and technology-driven coordination.