The Shipping Lines Association of Nigeria (SAN) has raised a serious alarm over the huge financial burden its members face due to stowaways, despite making substantial security payments to government agencies.
A Costly and Ineffective Security Regime
On Friday, December 7, 2025, in Lagos, SAN Chairman Boma Alabi revealed a startling contradiction. She stated that shipping companies are mandated to pay a staggering $4.6 million every year to the Nigerian government for the repatriation of apprehended stowaways. This figure is based on the repatriation of an estimated 2,340 stowaways annually, with a fee of $2,000 charged for each individual.
Alabi, who also serves as President of the Shipping, Shipping Agencies Clearing and Forwarding Employers Association, provided a detailed breakdown. She explained that a minimum of two to three stowaways are arrested weekly from each vessel calling at Nigerian ports.
"We have about 15 ships coming to Nigeria. So, if you multiply three stowaways into 52 weeks making up a year by 15 ships that come to the country, you will have 2,340 stowaways every year," Alabi told selected journalists.
Payment in Dollars for No Service
The core of SAN's grievance lies in the fact that these repatriation fines are levied even though shipping lines already pay security fees in United States dollars to relevant government agencies tasked with securing vessels and port environments.
Alabi strongly criticized this practice, describing it as a harmful "dollarisation" of the economy that yields no tangible value. She argued that the agencies have failed to deliver the security services they are paid for, leaving vessels vulnerable and operators exposed to significant risks and financial penalties.
"Meanwhile, we are paying these agencies for the safety of the vessels and they are collecting their payment in U.S. Dollars. Again, dollarising the economy and yet, you are not providing the service," Alabi stated emphatically.
Human Cost and Systemic Failure
The consequences extend far beyond financial losses. Alabi highlighted the grave human implications, noting that some stowaways lose their lives during their perilous attempts to board ships, often driven by desperation and ignorance.
She described the stowaway situation as a "major pandemic" in Nigeria that requires urgent attention. The continued failure to secure vessels not only endangers lives but also severely undermines the credibility of the nation's entire maritime security framework.
"You are putting Nigerians at risk because these stowaways, some of them lose their lives in the process," she lamented.
Alabi charged the concerned government agencies to efficiently discharge their duties to support national economic growth. She warned that ongoing operational failures within regulatory bodies are stifling trade, costing jobs, and preventing the expansion of Nigeria's maritime industry. Businesses cannot thrive in an environment hampered by such systemic security bottlenecks.
