Stakeholders in Nigeria's maritime sector have issued a strong call for the modernization of the country's transport laws, warning that current regulations are failing to keep pace with evolving global supply chain demands.
Critical Gap in Transport Regulations
The urgent appeal emerged during the yearly lecture and general meeting of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA) held in Lagos on 19 November 2025. The event, themed 'The Future of Multimodal Transport in Global Trade: Evolving Carriage Regimes, Enforcement Mechanisms and Legal Certainty,' brought together key industry players to examine how emerging logistics systems are reshaping international commerce.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, represented by the Legal Adviser of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Oyindamola Ade-Alli, delivered a stark assessment of the situation. She revealed that transport operations across sea, road, rail, air and inland waterways are advancing much faster than the laws intended to regulate them.
Threat to Blue Economy Ambitions
Dr Oduwole described the widening regulatory gap as a direct threat to Nigeria's ambitions in the blue economy. She emphasized that global trade increasingly depends on seamless, end-to-end cargo movement supported by clear liability rules, electronic documentation and robust enforcement systems.
The Minister stressed that efficiency and legal clarity will determine how countries participate in future markets. "Without modern legal frameworks, Nigeria risks being left behind in the rapidly evolving global trade landscape," she warned through her representative.
Industry Experts Highlight Operational Challenges
Managing Partner at PIA Solicitors, Adebanke Akinboboye, provided practical insights into how legal uncertainty affects daily maritime operations. She noted that while digitalization and evolving supply-chain systems are transforming the industry, the need for clear and harmonized legal frameworks remains absolutely critical.
Dr Kofi Mbiah, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Shipping, traced the historical evolution of transport law from simple port-to-port shipping to today's fully integrated, door-to-door supply chains. He explained that while logistics has become genuinely multimodal, the laws guiding it remain fragmented across different regimes for sea, air, road and rail transport.
The absence of a unified global liability system continues to significantly slow progress in multimodal transport, according to Dr Mbiah's analysis.
In her welcome address, NMLA President Funke Agbor emphasized that rapidly changing global supply chains require legal systems that are modern, integrated and easily enforceable. The consensus among all participants was clear: Nigeria must act swiftly to update its maritime transport laws or risk losing competitive ground in international trade.
