Stakeholders at the 2026 Lagos Maritime Week roundtable have called for the urgent disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, CVFF, and stronger collaboration among regulators, operators and regional maritime organizations to accelerate the development of Nigeria’s maritime sector.
The stakeholders made the call while examining gaps between maritime policies and their implementation across West and Central Africa, with discussions focusing on indigenous ship ownership, capacity development, digitalization and regional integration.
Ms Iroghama Ogbeifun, Managing Director of Starz Investment Company Ltd. and a Board Member of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, urged the government to expedite the disbursement of the CVFF.
Ogbeifun said policies without effective implementation would have little impact on the maritime industry. “Policy without practice remains a document,” she said, stressing the need for policies capable of transforming the sector.
She said access to the CVFF would enable Nigerian operators to acquire vessels, reduce dependence on foreign ships and expand domestic shipping.
According to her, delays in accessing the fund continue to constrain growth, competitiveness and job creation in the maritime sector.
Ogbeifun disclosed that 20 of the 92 CVFF applications had reached the banks for processing and urged the authorities to accelerate approvals to unlock the funds.
She said faster disbursement would strengthen indigenous ship ownership and increase Nigerian participation in domestic shipping.
Ogbeifun also identified human capacity development as a major challenge, questioning whether the country had adequate trainers, equipment and curricula to support innovation in the maritime sector.
She called for collaborative training programmes involving Nigerian operators and foreign partners to develop seafarers, engineers and shipyard technicians.
Ogbeifun further urged companies to invest in training their workforce rather than relying on poaching trained personnel from competitors, while calling on the government to strengthen cadetship programmes.
Capt. Niyi Labinjo, moderator of the session, urged stakeholders to move beyond rhetoric and focus on actionable solutions to the challenges facing the maritime sector.
Labinjo said policies would continue to “gather dust” without sustained collaboration among regulators, operators and regional maritime organizations.
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He called for regular platforms beyond annual maritime events to sustain dialogue and ensure continuous feedback between regulators and industry operators.
Mrs Tokunbo Jakande, NIMASA’s Head of Shipping Operations, identified fragmented governance and weak data-sharing systems as major operational challenges in the sector.
She said innovation should be guided by policy, stressing that Nigeria’s maritime future depended on quality services supported by automation.
Jakande explained that NIMASA’s command, control, communication and computer systems monitor vessel movements and provide real-time compliance information.
She said regulators must convert maritime domain-awareness data into actionable intelligence without creating additional bureaucratic delays.
Ms Olimotou Malang, Director-General of the Gambia Maritime Authority, said capacity building must precede digitalization to ensure technology investments deliver sustainable results.
“Technology without skilled people cannot deliver results,” Malang said, stressing the need for modern maritime training across Africa.
She advocated the establishment of a single maritime window for West and Central Africa under the Maritime Organization for West and Central Africa, MOWCA.
Malang said language barriers and fragmented national efforts were hindering regional integration, although MOWCA was working towards a regional solution.
Dr Kingsley Igwe, Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, CRFFN, warned against excessive dependence on digital systems.
Igwe, who was represented by CRFFN Director, Mr Peter Akunubi, said manual alternatives remained necessary during the transition to digital systems and periods of system downtime.
He said CRFFN was training freight forwarders and issuing certificates in manual inventory procedures to ensure operational continuity.
Igwe also called for a single database among relevant agencies to eliminate repeated information requests, improve data security and strengthen accountability.
The stakeholders resolved that regional cooperation, capacity development and sustained public-private dialogue were critical to translating maritime policies from paper into practice.
NAN
