Foreign dominance of Nigeria’s coastal waters threatens national security — Ex-Cabotage Director
A former Director of Shipping Development and Cabotage, Boniface Igwe, has warned that the growing dominance of foreign operators in Nigeria’s territorial waters could pose a serious threat to the country’s national security and maritime sovereignty.
Igwe raised the concern in his forthcoming book, Cabotage Law and Practice, where he examined the economic, political and security implications of allowing foreign interests to maintain significant control of Nigeria’s coastal shipping activities.
According to him, reserving coastal shipping for indigenous operators is not only an economic policy but also an important strategy for building local capacity and protecting national interests.
Igwe argued that uncontrolled foreign participation in a country’s coastal trade could have serious security consequences.
He noted that countries around the world had historically adopted policies aimed at creating protected markets for local businesses in critical sectors, allowing them to develop the capacity needed to compete internationally.
He explained that such interventionist policies were often driven by economic, political and security considerations.
The former director stressed the importance of Nigeria’s maritime sector to the national economy, particularly because of its close connection with the oil and gas industry.
He said the maritime industry remained a critical link between Nigeria and the global economy, making the protection and development of the sector a matter of national importance.
Igwe cited industry statistics showing that Nigeria records an average annual cargo traffic of about 152 million metric tonnes, generating approximately $5 billion in freight earnings.
However, he noted that foreign-controlled companies currently take the lion’s share of the earnings, with nearly 90 per cent of the revenue reportedly going to foreign operators.
He warned that the situation not only represents a significant loss of economic opportunities for Nigerian businesses but could also weaken the country’s ability to effectively control and protect its coastal waters.
Igwe therefore advocated stronger implementation of Nigeria’s cabotage policy to promote indigenous participation, build local maritime capacity and safeguard the country’s economic and security interests.
