Worried by the spate of seemingly unabatting fraudulent practices across the international waterways and its consequent damning image perception of Nigeria, the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) is set to unveil the real perpetrators of the international crime.
The association has set the battlefield for the prestigious Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos, venue of the forthcoming 3rd MARAN Annual Maritime Lecture (MAMAL), scheduled to hold on 28 August 2025.
In a statement, the association’s President, Mr. Godfrey Bivbiere, Planning Committee Chairperson, Mr. Dapo Olawuni, said that this year’s lecture would spotlight the ongoing international fraud perpetuated by foreign shipping lines under the guise of ‘War Risk Premiums’ on vessels calling at Nigerian ports.
While aiming to draw global attention to the issue, the group demands an urgent end to War Risk Premiums often slammed on Nigeria and Nigerians who ultimately bear the brunt of such malpractices.
Highlighting the theme for MAMAL 2025 tagged “Addressing the Burden of War Risk Insurance on Nigerian Maritime Trade”, the release strongly condemned the war risk insurance, describing it as an international fraud burdening the economy of Nigeria and other developing countries in the Gulf of Guinea.
‘Findings by the association have revealed that the extra War Risk Insurance (WRI) levied on Nigerian-bound vessels varies significantly. For instance, a Very Large Crude Carrier can incur a WRI surcharge of $445,000 per voyage, while a new container vessel may face a charge of $525,000 per voyage.
‘Beyond this, some shipping companies, such as Maersk, have introduced additional fees like ‘transit disruption surcharge’, and others impose war risk surcharge of $40-$50 per 20-foot container, the association revealed.
Findings further indicate that the alleged involvement of other international liners, namely, Cosco, Pacific International Lines, and others, as allies in the acts.
MARAN contends that these exorbitant charges are further strangulating Nigeria’s already strained economy.
The association recalled that despite Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola recently confirming that Nigeria has not recorded a single pirate incident in the past three years, ‘the imposition of war risk premiums continues unabated.
‘Oyetola credits this peace in the Gulf of Guinea to the multi-billion Naira Deep Blue Project, a robust maritime security initiative spearheaded by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
‘Despite these commendable efforts by the Federal Government, foreign shipping lines continue to unjustly extract millions of dollars from Nigerian shipowners in the name of War Risk Insurance Premiums, even though there are no demonstrable risks in the region’, MARAN further said.
The association also recalled that in March 2025, NIMASA’s Director-General, Dr. Dayo Mobereola met with a delegation from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by Kristin Skov-Spilling, ‘where he passionately appealed to the international community to acknowledge Nigeria’s significant progress in securing its waters. He emphasized the critical need for a corresponding reduction in war risk insurance costs’.
The association further quoted Mobereola at the event in which he had said: ‘The Nigerian government has demonstrated a strong commitment to maritime security, leading to nearly zero incident of piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea over the past four years. Despite this, vessels coming to Nigeria continue to pay high war risk premiums, which is unjustifiable given the improved security landscape’.
On the upcoming MAMAL, MARAN President Godfrey Bivbere asserted that international shipping companies operating in Nigeria have shown ‘lackadaisical and complacent attitude towards the economic and social wellbeing of Nigeria as a nation’.
He explained that MAMAL 2025 aims to thoroughly examine the perceived threats, realities, and profound implications of persistent Extra War Risk Insurance on Nigeria’s maritime trade and the wider Gulf of Guinea.
Providing more details about the highly anticipated conference, which has consistently served as a crucial rallying point for all maritime stakeholders due to MARAN’s acknowledged voice, Bivbere added that “the Summit will also explore issues leading to the classification of the nation’s waters as high-risk zones, roles of classification societies like the Lloyds of London, the roles of core stakeholders like NIMASA, Nigerian Navy and other maritime and security operators’.
According to Bivbere, ‘MAMAL 2025 is expected to draw over 500 key stakeholders, including maritime security experts, shipowners, terminal operators, international shipping lines, diplomats, insurers, regulators, and legal experts’.
