The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, has urged the judiciary to prepare for a new generation of maritime disputes arising from autonomous ships, digital shipping and the global transition to cleaner maritime transport. Dr. Oyetola said the rapid evolution of maritime technology was creating unprecedented legal questions around liability, navigational responsibility, insurance, collision regulations and the allocation of responsibility when autonomous vessels or their systems fail.
Delivering the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 18th International Maritime Seminar for Judges organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) and the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister said the digitalisation of shipping through electronic bills of lading, blockchain-enabled cargo documentation and digital freight contracts was transforming global commerce while creating “fresh evidentiary, contractual, and jurisdictional issues”.
“The prospect of vessels operating with limited or no human crews raises fundamental questions concerning liability, navigational responsibility, insurance, collision regulations, and the allocation of legal responsibility when technology fails,” Oyetola said.
He said the growing international focus on maritime decarbonisation and environmental responsibility would also generate increasingly complex disputes over environmental liability, pollution damage, regulatory enforcement and compliance with evolving international standards, urging judges to approach such cases with “sound legal reasoning, scientific understanding, and awareness of emerging international jurisprudence”.
Oyetola emphasised that by strengthening the mechanism for prompt and efficient resolution of shipping disputes through litigation and arbitration, Nigeria can successfully position itself as Africa’s premier maritime hub. “Every judgment delivered in a maritime matter sends a powerful message — not only to the litigants before the court, but also to international investors, shipowners, financiers, insurers, cargo interests, and seafarers across the world,” he said.
“A predictable, well-reasoned, and internationally informed judiciary is itself an instrument of economic competitiveness. It lowers transaction costs, enhances commercial confidence, encourages parties to choose Nigerian courts and Nigerian arbitration centres for the resolution of maritime disputes, and reinforces Nigeria’s reputation as a credible destination for maritime investment.” The Minister said the Federal Government would support the expansion of specialised maritime divisions within the Federal High Court, align domestic legislation with contemporary international maritime conventions and promote robust alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms, particularly maritime arbitration.
He said a predictable and internationally informed judiciary could reduce transaction costs, strengthen commercial confidence and encourage parties to choose Nigerian courts and Nigerian arbitration centres for the resolution of maritime disputes. “Judicial excellence has become a strategic economic asset, and investments in judicial capacity are investments in Nigeria’s future competitiveness within the global maritime economy,” Dr.
Oyetola said. Oyetola also said that the Federal Government had secured a £746 million financing agreement with the United Kingdom for the modernisation of the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, while the approved disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund would enable Nigerian shipowners to acquire vessels, expand their participation in coastal shipping and create an estimated 30,000 jobs.
He said Nigeria had recorded four consecutive years without piracy in its territorial waters through the Deep Blue Project, while the country’s maritime agencies collectively generated more than ₦1.8 trillion in 2025. Domestic fish production, he added, had risen from approximately 1.1 million metric tonnes to 1.4 million metric tonnes.