By Seun Ibiyemi
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has unveiled plans to fully NIMASA gets new maritime guard commanderautomate the Nigerian Ship Registry as part of a broader strategy to reposition the country’s flag for global competitiveness.
The agency disclosed this at a breakfast meeting with shipowners, boat operators and other maritime stakeholders in Lagos, where the newly appointed Registrar of Ships, Mrs. Adenike Iyelolu, outlined NIMASA’s reform agenda for the registry.
According to the agency, the move to digitise the ship registration process is aimed at transforming the registry into a modern, technology-driven and globally accessible platform capable of attracting both indigenous and foreign shipowners.
NIMASA stated that full automation of the registry remains central to its long-term strategic objectives, noting that manual and semi-manual processes can no longer support the speed, transparency and efficiency required in today’s global maritime environment.
The proposed reform will cover the entire registration lifecycle from application and verification to issuance of certificates, renewals and data management.
The agency plans to deploy a secure, integrated, web-based platform that will allow shipowners and their representatives to initiate and track registration processes remotely from anywhere in the world.
The agency acknowledged that the Nigerian Ship Registry had historically operated largely manual processes, with hard-copy submissions, physical file movement across multiple desks and paper-based archives.
These processes, it noted, often resulted in delays, verification challenges, fragmented information systems and difficulty in tracking applications and retrieving records.
Despite the limitations of the legacy system, NIMASA maintained that the registry has continued to play a critical role in supporting indigenous shipping NUPRC, NIMASA pledge collaboration to boost Nigeria’s investment climatedevelopment, enforcing maritime safety standards and ensuring compliance with international conventions and national laws.
However, it admitted that modernisation has become imperative to enhance competitiveness in the global maritime market.
Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, described the appointment of Iyelolu as a deliberate and strategic step to inject new energy, legal expertise and innovation into the ship registry unit.
Represented by his Special Adviser (Technical), Ahmed Shitten, the DG said successive leaderships of the agency, with the support of the supervising ministry, have worked consistently to build a reputable Nigerian flag but emphasised that continuous improvement remains essential.
He expressed confidence that the ongoing reforms would reposition Nigeria’s flag to compete favourablyNUPRC, NIMASA pledge collaboration to boost Nigeria’s investment climate within Africa and on the global stage, stressing that the Nigerian flag must remain a symbol of quality, safety and regulatory compliance on the high seas.
Mobereola further highlighted the importance of collaboration with shipowners and operators, noting that the registry exists to serve stakeholders while protecting the integrity and reputation of the Nigerian maritime brand.
