The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has detained four vessels in Lagos waters over alleged violations of Nigeria’s coastal shipping regulations, warning that maritime operators who fail to comply with the law will face stiffer sanctions.
The vessels, MT HOLMES, MT FUJAIRAH ENERGY, JS GRATITUDE and MT BORA, were detained during an intelligence-led enforcement operation codenamed Operation Sea Guardian.
In a statement reported by BusinessDay on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, NIMASA said some of the vessels had been released after their operators regularised the identified infractions.
The operation was designed to strengthen compliance with the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act, verify operators’ obligations and check the payment of applicable surcharges and levies.
The Cabotage regime is intended to promote indigenous participation in Nigeria’s coastal and inland shipping trade by establishing requirements for vessels engaged in domestic maritime operations.
NIMASA deployed assets under the Deep Blue Project to track, board and inspect vessels identified through intelligence reports, surveillance profiling and compliance indicators.
The operation involved personnel from NIMASA, the Nigerian Navy, the Maritime Guard Command and C4i intelligence personnel.
According to the agency, vessels considered at high risk of defaulting on Cabotage obligations were prioritised for inspection and added to a database known as the Target Bank. The database is used to identify vessels of interest and guide subsequent enforcement operations.
NIMASA Director-General, Dr Dayo Mobereola, said the agency would conduct similar operations more frequently, urging maritime operators to ensure full compliance with applicable regulations.
“We had earlier served notice of enhanced enforcement of indigenous participation in our coastal and inland trade and this is exactly what we are doing,” Mobereola said.
He warned that operators who violate the regulations would face stiff sanctions in line with the law.
The crackdown follows a marine notice issued by NIMASA on August 26, 2026, which restated the requirements for participating in Cabotage trade and warned vessel owners, operators, charterers and other stakeholders against violating the law.
The notice stated that breaches of the Cabotage Act or other applicable requirements could attract enforcement action without further recourse to violators.
The latest operation forms part of the agency’s broader efforts to improve maritime regulatory compliance and strengthen Nigerian participation in domestic shipping.
For operators, the renewed enforcement drive means greater scrutiny of vessel documentation, Cabotage obligations and applicable statutory payments, as NIMASA moves to turn its compliance warnings into operational action.
