The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has revealed plans to launch an e-registration portal come January 2026.

This revelation was made public by the Executive Director, Maritime Labour & Cabotage Services, Mr. Jubril Abba, who was represented on the occasion by the Director, Maritime Labour Services of the Agency, Mr. Ibrahim Sidi in his opening remarks at the stakeholders’ sensitization and pilot test of the Martine Labour e-platform.

Stakeholders at the event were taken through a demonstration of the step-by-step process for Seafarers and dock workers registration as well as for operators and employers’ registration.

The process which also took participants through the process of information update on the portal, BusinessUpdate gathered is to acquaint them with the requirements and procedures for seamless registration ahead of the formal launch of the e-portal next January.

Meanwhile, Director Legal Services and Board Secretary, Heaky Dimowo also represented by Lotachukwu Ayogu-eze of the Legal Services department of NIMASA took participants through a presentation on “Stevedoring Regulations” 2025.
She explained that the registration process is in exercise of the powers conferred on the agency by section 51(1) of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Act No. 17, 2007, and all other powers enabling it in that behalf to provide a framework for the registration, regulation and supervision of Stevedoring activities, including stevedoring work, dock labour employers and private operators of any work or location such as Ports, Jetties, onshore or off-shore oil and gas bonded terminals, Inland Container Depots (ICDds), off dock terminals, dry Ports and platforms within the Nigerian Maritime Zone.

She noted that a dock worker or stevedore shall not engage in, or provide stevedoring work onboard, from ships or at any work location within the Nigerian Maritime Zone unless the dock worker or stevedore is a Nigerian citizen and has been registered and certified by the agency after satisfying the prescribed requirements as stipulated in the regulation.

Responding to issues and challenges raised by some stakeholders on the registration process on the e-platform, Mr Sidi stated that the e-platform in its present form is still “work in progress”, assuring that the various concerns, observations and criticisms identified will be addressed and more features incorporated in the design before it goes live in January, 2026.