How foreign seafarers, vessel owners undermine Nigeria’s Cabotage law

By Godfrey Bivbere

DESPITE the Coastal and  Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003, which seeks to protect Nigerian seafarers and the shipping industry, foreign seafarers are still being smuggled from neighbouring Togo and Benin Republic to board vessels on the nation’s waters in contravention of the law.

The Cabotage law aims, primarily, ‘‘to reserve the commercial transportation of goods and services within Nigerian coastal and inland waters to vessels flying the Nigerian flag, owned and crewed by Nigerian citizens, and built in Nigeria.”

Investigation by Vanguard Maritime Report revealed that foreign seafarers are flown to Benin Republic and Togo from where they are picked up mid-sea on the territorial waters of these countries and ferried to board vessels in Nigeria.

A Nigerian seafarer source told Vanguard Maritime Report that while the incoming seafarers are brought in through the sea, those to be relieved off duty go through the airport since they do not require visa to get out of the country.