The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, 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 towards cleaner maritime transport.
Oyetola made the call on Wednesday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the 18th International Maritime Seminar for Judges, organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and the National Judicial Institute.
The minister 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.
He noted that 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 challenges.
“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 added that the growing international focus on maritime decarbonisation and environmental responsibility would generate increasingly complex disputes involving environmental liability, pollution damage, regulatory enforcement and compliance with evolving international standards.
Oyetola urged judges to approach emerging maritime cases with sound legal reasoning, scientific understanding and awareness of international jurisprudence.
According to him, strengthening mechanisms for the prompt and efficient resolution of shipping disputes through litigation and arbitration would help position Nigeria 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.
The minister said a predictable, well-reasoned and internationally informed judiciary was itself an instrument of economic competitiveness.
He explained that an efficient maritime justice system could lower transaction costs, enhance commercial confidence, encourage parties to choose Nigerian courts and arbitration centres, and strengthen Nigeria’s reputation as a credible destination for maritime investment.
Oyetola 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.
“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,” he said.
The minister also disclosed 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.
He said 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.
Oyetola also 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 N1.8 trillion in 2025.
He added that domestic fish production had increased from approximately 1.1 million metric tonnes to 1.4 million metric tonnes.
According to the minister, the expansion of offshore renewable energy, aquaculture, seabed resources, coastal tourism and other blue economy sectors would inevitably create more disputes involving investors, regulators, host communities and commercial operators.
“The marine and blue economy cannot flourish in a legal vacuum,” Oyetola said.
He stressed that Nigeria needed courts with the expertise to interpret increasingly sophisticated international maritime legal instruments while balancing commercial interests with the demands of justice and the rule of law.
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of the seminar and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, underscored the strategic importance of the maritime sector to Nigeria’s economy.
Akume stressed the need for the speedy dispensation of admiralty justice and prompt resolution of maritime disputes, warning that delays could have far-reaching consequences for trade, shipping, investment, port operations and the wider economy.
He said timely dispute resolution was essential to maintaining confidence in Nigeria’s maritime sector and improving the country’s competitiveness as a regional trade and shipping hub.
The SGF also cautioned government agencies against working in silos, saying the complexity of the maritime and blue economy sectors required stronger coordination and collaboration among relevant institutions.
He assured participants of the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening inter-agency cooperation to promote trade, improve port efficiency, streamline maritime operations and support the sector’s growth.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who declared the seminar open, described the maritime sector as a vital channel for the movement of goods and services, international trade, economic growth, employment and national revenue.
She emphasised the need for effective and prompt dispensation of admiralty justice, noting that maritime disputes often involve complex, time-sensitive and cross-border transactions.
According to her, delays in resolving such disputes could disrupt commercial operations, increase costs, undermine investor confidence and affect the smooth functioning of the maritime industry.
She therefore called for a responsive, efficient and specialised system of admiralty justice capable of resolving maritime disputes promptly and effectively.
Kekere-Ekun also highlighted the importance of collaboration across jurisdictions, noting that ships, cargoes, commercial transactions and maritime disputes frequently involve multiple countries and legal systems.
She said cooperation among courts, judicial officers, regulators, legal practitioners and other stakeholders was essential to addressing the international nature of maritime commerce.
The Chief Justice further described the seminar as an important platform for judicial and professional engagement, knowledge-sharing and institutional capacity-building in maritime law.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, represented by the Deputy Chief Whip, Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka, also highlighted the strategic importance of the maritime sector to national and global economies.
He noted that disruptions to maritime trade could have ripple effects across national economies by affecting supply chains, the availability and cost of goods, industrial production and economic growth.
Isiaka assured participants that the House of Representatives would continue to enact appropriate legislation and perform its oversight functions to support the development of Nigeria’s maritime sector.
The seminar was attended by the Chief Justices of The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia and Sierra Leone, as well as Justices of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, Federal and State High Court judges, legal scholars, arbitrators and maritime law practitioners.
