The Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) has inaugurated an eight-man committee to drive implementation of resolutions from its 3rd Annual Maritime Lecture (MAMAL 2025), with a primary focus on securing an end to the War Risk Insurance (WRI) premiums imposed on vessels calling at Nigerian ports.
The committee, formed on August 27 and inaugurated a day later after the lecture held at Four Points by Sheraton, Victoria Island, Lagos, is chaired by maritime security expert, Mr. Emmanuel Maiguwa, with Mr. Oluyinka Onigbinde as secretary.
Other members include veteran shipowner Engr. Greg Ogbeifun, former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Temisan Omatseye, President of MARAN, Mr. Godfrey Bivbere, Special Assistant to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Bolaji Akinola, Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Club consultant, Ms. Ejide Shodipo, and the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Gregory Oaemen.
The committee is mandated to engage both local and international stakeholders toward suspending the WRI premiums, which industry players argue have become indefensible given Nigeria’s improved maritime security.
At the lecture themed “Addressing the Burden of War Risk Insurance on Nigeria’s Maritime Trade,” stakeholders revealed that Nigerian shippers have paid more than $5 billion in surcharges in the past three years.
Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr. Pius Akutah, represented by Director of Regulatory Affairs, Mrs. Margaret Ogbonna, said the premiums were no longer justifiable, citing four years without major piracy incidents. He credited the milestone to joint efforts of the Navy, NIMASA, and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy through the Deep Blue Project and enforcement of the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act.
Chairman of the lecture, Engr. Ogbeifun, urged industry players to deliver measurable results before MAMAL 2026, stressing that sustained advocacy must translate into tangible outcomes.
Former NIMASA DG, Capt. Omatseye, faulted the London-based Joint War Risk Committee for what he described as discriminatory classification of Nigeria as a high-risk nation. According to him, while Nigeria is subjected to war risk rates of up to 0.65 percent, countries with weaker security profiles such as Pakistan pay as little as 0.25 percent.
Also speaking, NIMASA DG Dr. Dayo Mobereola, represented by Mr. Victor Iloh, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to sustaining maritime security gains and supporting collective advocacy to achieve removal of the charges.
MARAN said the committee will track follow-up actions, monitor progress, and provide periodic updates to stakeholders. The ultimate goal, it stressed, is to position Nigeria as a cost-competitive and secure maritime hub by ending the war risk surcharge regime.
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