Ahead of the third annual conference of the Maritime Reporters Annual Maritime Lecture (MAMAL), tagged, “MAMAL 2025″, the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) has secured the endorsement and active participation of Nigerian maritime industry’s top players, including the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola; Tantita Security Services Limited; notable ships owner, Engr Greg Ogbeifun; and the Maritime Security Providers Association of Nigeria (MASPAN), among others.
The association also announced that this year’s conference, previously scheduled for 28 August2025, at the Eko Hotel, has now been rescheduled for 27 August 2025, at the Four Point by Sheraton Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, due to logistics reasons.
According to MARAN President, Mr. Godfrey Bivbiere, frontline maritime lawyers are also billed to attend, including Mrs. Funke Agbor, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN); and Dr. Emeka Akabogu (SAN), who is expected to deliver the keynote address at this year’s annual conference.
Terminal operators and the Chief Executive Officer of Lelook Bags, Chief Mrs Chinwe Ezenwa, are also on the list.
Other associations expected to attend include the Nigerian Trawler Owners Association (NITOA), the African Shipowners Association (ASA), the Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), and the Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA).
The event, which has the theme, “Addressing the Burden of War Risk Insurance on Nigerian Maritime Trade”, will focus on the persistent imposition of Extra War Risk Insurance (EWRI) premiums on vessels operating in Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea.
The lecture will host strategic dialogues on maritime security, the impact of global shipping insurance practices, and the way forward for stakeholders in the fishing, shipping, and broader maritime sectors.
Stakeholders’ participation in the forthcoming MAMAL 2025 is considered critical and timely to help shape actionable outcomes and reinforce industry advocacy for safer waters and fairer trade conditions.
The lecture is expected to bring together over 500 industry participants, including shipowners, terminal operators, insurers, legal practitioners, maritime regulators, naval representatives, and diplomats.
Confirmed speakers include maritime lawyer, Dr. Emeka Akabogu; former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Barrister Temisan Omatseye; and top representatives from NIMASA, the Nigerian Navy, and the international maritime bodies.
On the upcoming MAMAL 2025, Bivbere explained that the aim is to thoroughly examine the perceived threats, realities, and profound implications of persistent Extra War Risk Insurance (EWRI) on Nigeria’s maritime trade and the wider Gulf of Guinea (GoG).
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 respected voice, Bivbere said: ‘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’.
