By Victor Emeleze
The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dayo Mobereola said the agency was intensifying efforts to digitise its processes as part of broader reforms aimed at eliminating unnecessary human contact, blocking revenue leakages and reducing bureaucratic delays in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
He spoke at the 2026 Maritime Training Summit and Awards of the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON) in Lagos, themed “The Power of Innovation in a Future-Ready Maritime Training Agenda.”
Represented by the Assistant Director, Public Relations, Daniel Kajo, Mobereola said innovation had become imperative for the maritime industry, stressing that the sector could not achieve different results by continuing with outdated methods.
He identified digitalisation, collaboration and strategic synergy as key pillars of NIMASA’s approach to transforming the sector, noting that excessive human interaction in maritime processes had contributed to corruption, delays and inefficiency.
He said the agency was also moving towards the full automation of the Nigerian ship registry, which would enable operators to undertake registration and related transactions remotely, including making payments without having to visit NIMASA offices.
According to him, the digitalisation drive would not only improve efficiency but also strengthen revenue administration by closing loopholes associated with manual processes.
Mobereola also highlighted NIMASA’s collaboration with other government agencies and international partners, citing the country’s four-year period without pirate attacks, Nigeria’s successful election into the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the recent lifting of a 12-year condition of entry imposed by the United States Coast Guard on vessels that had previously called at Nigerian ports.
He said the achievements demonstrated the importance of collaboration in advancing Nigeria’s maritime interests.
Beyond digitalisation, Mobereola said NIMASA was addressing the industry’s seafarer training gap, disclosing that 134 National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) cadets were being deployed to sea-time training in the United Kingdom, India and Romania.
He added that NIMASA was also reviewing its regulatory framework to keep pace with emerging developments such as autonomous vessels, alternative-fuel ships and greenhouse-gas emissions.
He added that three major maritime laws—the NIMASA Act 2007, Merchant Shipping Act 2007 and Cabotage Act 2003—are currently under review by the National Assembly.
