Stakeholders in the maritime sector have renewed calls for the urgent modernisation of Nigeria’s transport laws to meet the evolving demands of global supply chains.
The call was made at the annual lecture and general meeting of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA), held in Lagos. This year’s programme, themed “The Future of Multimodal Transport in Global Trade: Evolving Carriage Regimes, Enforcement Mechanisms and Legal Certainty,” examined how shifting logistics systems are redefining global commerce and the steps Nigeria must take to remain competitive.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, represented by the Legal Adviser of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Oyindamola Ade-Alli, highlighted the growing mismatch between advancements in transport operations and the legal framework guiding them.
She noted that while multimodal operations across sea, road, rail, air and inland waterways are rapidly evolving, the laws regulating them have not kept pace. According to her, the widening gap threatens Nigeria’s ambitions in the blue economy.
Oduwole emphasised that global trade now depends heavily on seamless, end-to-end cargo movement supported by clear liability regimes, robust enforcement mechanisms and digital documentation. She added that efficiency and legal certainty will determine how effectively countries integrate into future global markets.
