US removes Nigeria from decade-long port security restrictions

The decision will strengthen the African state’s position in global shipping, Abuja’s maritime agency has said

The US has lifted security restrictions on vessels arriving from Nigeria, ending a 12-year regime that burdened shipping companies with additional guards, inspections, and paperwork.

A US Coast Guard notice published on Wednesday said “recent assessments” had found that Africa’s most populous nation was maintaining effective antiterrorism measures at its ports, warranting the removal of restrictions known as Conditions of Entry (CoE).

The measures, imposed in June 2014, did not amount to an outright ban on Nigerian-flagged ships. They applied to vessels that had called at designated Nigerian ports during their previous five port calls, requiring operators to tighten onboard security, guard access points, and report their precautions. The safeguards were intended to prevent ships leaving poorly secured ports from being exploited to carry terrorists, weapons, or tampered cargo into US waters.

The conditions had long drawn complaints over higher insurance bills, added personnel costs, and delays. Abuja expects their removal to improve turnaround times and attract shipping lines, although congestion, corruption allegations, and Gulf of Guinea piracy remain obstacles.

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency said the US Coast Guard conducted four assessments of the West African nation’s maritime security systems and port facilities between March 2024 and April 2026.

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The agency said in a statement on Tuesday that it expects the lifting of the CoE “to improve port competitiveness, enhance vessel turnaround and schedule reliability, reduce additional security-related costs and strengthen Nigeria’s position in global shipping.”

Nigeria’s minister of marine and blue economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, hailed the decision as “a major milestone” affirming Abuja’s progress in maritime security and implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code.

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“We will sustain this momentum and ensure Nigeria remains a safe, secure and competitive destination for international shipping,” he wrote on X.

Nigeria was not the only African country subject to US conditions of entry. Similar vessel restrictions remain in force against Cameroon, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Libya, Madagascar, Seychelles, Sudan, and Sao Tome and Principe. In February, the Coast Guard expanded the restrictions within Cameroon and Madagascar by revoking exemptions previously granted to certain port facilities.

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