Blue Economy
IMO Moves to Open Safe Maritime Corridor as 3,200 Vessels, 20,000 Seafarers Remain Trapped in Gulf Crisis
IMO Moves to Open Safe Maritime Corridor as 3,200 Vessels, 20,000 Seafarers Remain Trapped in Gulf Crisis
By Okeoghene Onoriobe, Waterways News Correspondent, Lagos
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has approved plans for a “safe maritime corridor” to evacuate thousands of commercial vessels stranded in the Gulf region as the security crisis around the Strait of Hormuz deepens, with significant implications for Nigerian and West African shipping.
The proposal, endorsed at an extraordinary session of the IMO Council in London on March 18–19, is designed as a voluntary, non-military framework to allow stranded vessels to exit high-risk areas in an organised and coordinated manner. Bahrain put forward the initiative, which member states accepted as an urgent interim measure to address one of the gravest threats to global maritime trade in recent memory.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has been mandated to engage governments and industry stakeholders to bring the plan into operation, underscoring the urgency with which the international maritime community is treating the situation.
Scale of the Crisis
The human and commercial stakes are considerable. IMO figures put the number of vessels currently trapped in the Gulf at approximately 3,200, carrying around 20,000 seafarers. Crews face heightened security risks, mounting operational disruptions and increasing physical fatigue as tensions in the region show no sign of abating.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply flows — has already fallen sharply. Persistent attacks involving missiles, drones and sea mines have driven up war-risk insurance premiums to prohibitive levels and deterred vessel operators from transiting the route.
Western Powers Issue Joint Condemnation
Diplomatic pressure on Iran is intensifying. In a joint statement released on March 19, leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan condemned ongoing attacks on commercial shipping and energy infrastructure, attributing the disruption directly to Iran and describing the situation as a de facto closure of the strait.
The six nations called on Iran to halt hostile activities — including mine-laying and missile and drone strikes — and reaffirmed the principle of freedom of navigation under international law. They indicated readiness to support efforts to restore safe passage but stopped short of committing to naval escorts or specific security deployments.
Military Option Stalls
Proposals for a military-backed escort system have run into resistance. Key allies of the United States — including Germany, Spain and Italy — have declined to deploy naval forces, citing the absence of a mandate from the United Nations, the European Union or NATO, as well as inadequate prior consultation on the proposal.
The reluctance of Western governments to pursue a military solution has reinforced the IMO’s preference for a civilian-led, non-militarized approach. The proposed corridor would provide a structured exit pathway for trapped vessels without dependence on armed escorts.
Comparison to Black Sea Grain Initiative
Analysts have drawn parallels between the proposed corridor and the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which established a protected shipping route during the Ukraine conflict. However, a key distinction exists: that arrangement rested on guarantees provided by the United Nations and Turkey, whereas the IMO is expected to assume a more direct coordinating role in the Hormuz framework.
Whether the organisation can operationalise such a mechanism within an active conflict zone remains a live question, and several IMO member states have already raised concerns about the practical feasibility of the plan.
Nigeria Watch
The Hormuz corridor proposal arrives at a critical juncture for Nigerian maritime interests.
Nigeria’s economy is tied to global oil markets, and any sustained disruption to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz feeds directly into crude price volatility, freight rate increases and supply chain uncertainty — all of which affect the cost of imports arriving at Apapa and Tin Can Island ports.
The crisis also has a human dimension for Nigeria. The country has an active seafarer community with Nigerian nationals serving aboard vessels operating in Gulf waters. The welfare of approximately 20,000 seafarers currently stranded in the region — some of whom may be Nigerian — is a matter of direct concern for the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN).
Operationally, Nigerian shipping stakeholders will be watching the fate of the IMO corridor proposal closely. With major carriers already activating emergency multimodal rerouting — as seen with CMA CGM’s recent announcement of alternative corridors via the Red Sea and overland routes — Nigerian importers and exporters could face extended transit times and revised freight schedules into the second quarter of 2026.
The IMO’s credibility in crisis management is also under scrutiny. If the corridor succeeds, it would represent a landmark use of civilian multilateral coordination to manage a live maritime emergency — a model with potential implications for security architecture in the Gulf of Guinea, where Nigeria has long advocated for non-militarized regional maritime cooperation.
NIMASA Receives Over 60 CVFF Applications, Vows Open and Accountable Disbursement
By Okeoghene Onoriobe | Waterways News Correspondent | Lagos
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has disclosed that it has received more than 60 applications for the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), a development that signals fresh momentum in the push to strengthen indigenous participation in Nigeria’s shipping sector.
The agency equally assured stakeholders that the disbursement of the fund would be handled transparently, with strict accountability measures guiding every step of the process.
The disclosure came on Thursday in Lagos, during the signing of the 2026 Performance Bond between NIMASA’s Director-General, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola.
At the event, Minister Oyetola left no room for ambiguity, issuing a pointed directive to heads of agencies under his ministry to focus on results and shun complacency.
“Let me emphasise that all Departments and Agencies under the Ministry must remain firmly focused on delivering tangible results,” the Minister stated.
He further stressed that the performance bonds carry real weight, describing them as binding commitments subject to close monitoring and rigorous evaluation — not documents to be signed and shelved.
“These are not ceremonial documents. They are binding commitments. Accountability will not be optional,” Oyetola declared.
Speaking after the signing, Director-General Mobereola said the reforms being pursued at NIMASA are deliberate and are being driven with strong backing from the Ministry, adding that the agency remains firmly aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
On maritime security, Mobereola highlighted a landmark achievement: Nigeria has recorded zero piracy incidents in its territorial waters over the past four years. He attributed this record to enhanced surveillance systems and improved collaboration among security agencies.
The NIMASA chief also announced that the agency is close to completing the automation of its ship registry processes — a reform expected to eliminate administrative delays, speed up turnaround times, and sharpen Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global maritime industry.
Additionally, Mobereola noted that Nigeria has deposited three maritime conventions with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), with three more pending Federal Executive Council approval. He also highlighted Nigeria’s re-election into Category C of the IMO Council in November 2025 as a milestone that restores the country’s standing in global maritime governance and reinforces its leadership role on the African continent.
Waterways News | www.waterwaysnews.ng
Oyetola Orders NSC Probe into Alleged Plot to Squeeze Out Local Barge OperatorsÂ
Minister vows zero tolerance for anti-competitive behaviour as indigenous operators cry foul over foreign interference at Nigerian seaports
By Oghenewoke Onoriode|Waterways News Correspondent, LAGOS
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, has ordered the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to investigate allegations that a coordinated effort is underway to push indigenous barge operators out of Nigeria’s seaport logistics chain.
The directive came during the 2026 First Quarter Citizens/Stakeholders’ Engagement, Sectoral Performance Review, and Ministerial Management Retreat of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, held in Lagos on Thursday.
Operators Raise the Alarm
Representatives of local barge operators used the platform to allege that certain foreign interests are engaged in a deliberate campaign to undermine their operations. They told the Minister that policies, operational bottlenecks, and preferential treatment allegedly extended to foreign-linked entities by some terminal operators are tilting the competitive landscape against Nigerian businesses.
The operators warned that if left unaddressed, the situation could erode local capacity and destabilise Nigeria’s maritime logistics ecosystem.
NSC Given the Mandate
Responding to the allegations, Dr Oyetola reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting local investments and ensuring a level playing field in the maritime sector. He directed the NSC — in its capacity as port economic regulator — to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the claims.
The Minister was unequivocal: any anti-competitive behaviour or policy inconsistency that disadvantages Nigerian businesses would not be tolerated.
Engagement as Policy Tool
Dr Oyetola also used the occasion to underscore the importance of regular stakeholder engagement in driving effective sectoral governance. He noted that the government remains firmly focused on developing the marine and blue economy as a pillar of national growth, employment generation, and sustainable development.
Nigeria Watch
The allegations against terminal operators echo long-standing concerns in the Nigerian maritime industry about the marginalisation of indigenous players in port operations. Local barge operators form a critical link in Nigeria’s cargo evacuation chain — particularly at Apapa and Tin Can Island ports — and their displacement would deepen the country’s dependence on foreign logistics providers.
The NSC’s mandate as port economic regulator makes it the appropriate body to probe these claims. However, the effectiveness of the investigation will depend on the Council’s willingness to act on its findings — including, where necessary, imposing sanctions on terminal operators found to have violated fair competition principles.
For the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Thursday’s engagement signals a more assertive posture on indigenous content in maritime logistics — one that stakeholders will be watching closely.
Waterways News — Covering Nigeria’s Maritime, Shipping and Blue Economy Sector
Blue Economy
Tinubu Approves Cargo Tracking Scheme That Could Save Nigeria N900bn in Lost Import Revenue
Tinubu Approves Cargo Tracking Scheme That Could Save Nigeria N900bn in Lost Import Revenue
Presidential approval secured for ICTN as Nigerian Shippers’ Council begins procurement; scheme expected to go live before year-end
By Emetena Ikuku, Lagos
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the full implementation of the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN), a flagship initiative of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) designed to plug revenue leakages in the country’s import trade and strengthen regulatory oversight of inbound cargo.
The approval, confirmed at a stakeholders’ engagement convened by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in Lagos, ends months of uncertainty over the scheme’s future and sets the stage for what industry analysts say could be one of the most consequential reforms in Nigeria’s maritime sector in recent years.
What the ICTN Does
The ICTN is a real-time, online cargo tracking system that monitors the movement of inbound shipments from origin to destination. Beyond logistics visibility, it is designed to function as an economic intelligence tool — capturing import data that can be used to close gaps in revenue declaration and combat under-invoicing.
Industry projections suggest the system could help Nigeria recover up to N900 billion annually in import revenue currently lost to leakages — a figure that underscores the commercial stakes of getting the rollout right.
Procurement Underway
Pius Akutah, Executive Secretary and CEO of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, confirmed to stakeholders that presidential approval had been secured and that procurement processes were already in motion. He expressed confidence that the ICTN would become operational before the end of the year.
Akutah acknowledged that previous implementation attempts had been suspended due to unresolved operational challenges, but said the Council had drawn lessons from those setbacks.
He noted that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, is personally committed to ensuring a seamless rollout, with the ministry taking deliberate steps to resolve all outstanding issues before the scheme goes live.
Nigeria Watch
The ICTN revival is significant beyond its revenue implications. For years, Nigerian freight forwarders, cargo agents, and port operators have operated in an environment where cargo data is fragmented and often unreliable — creating fertile ground for manifest fraud, valuation disputes, and customs evasion.
A fully operational ICTN would give the NSC, the Nigeria Customs Service, and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) access to a unified cargo data stream, potentially transforming how import risk is assessed at Apapa, Tin Can Island, and the emerging Lekki Deep Sea Port.
For the broader blue economy agenda being championed by Minister Oyetola, real-time cargo intelligence also supports Nigeria’s ambitions to position its ports as West Africa’s premier logistics hub — a goal that requires the kind of regulatory credibility the ICTN is designed to provide.
Stakeholders will be watching the procurement timeline closely. The scheme has been suspended before, and the maritime industry’s confidence in its delivery will depend on whether the ministry can demonstrate tangible progress before the year runs out.
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