By Joshua Yousouph
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute (NJI), is set to host the 18th International Maritime Seminar for Judges from July 22 to 24, 2026, in Abuja.
In an official press statement made available to our correspondent on Friday, the three-day seminar is scheduled to hold at the Ball Room of the Ladi Kwali Conference Centre, Abuja Continental Hotel. It will bring together judicial officers, maritime law experts, policymakers, legal practitioners and industry stakeholders to deliberate on emerging issues in maritime law and admiralty practice.
The 2026 edition marks 35 years of the International Maritime Seminar for Judges, a flagship capacity-building initiative established in 1995 to strengthen judicial competence in maritime adjudication and promote best practices in the sector. Over the years, the seminar has evolved into one of the most significant events on Nigeria’s maritime calendar.
The event will be chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, while the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, will serve as Chief Host. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, will host the event.
Also expected at the seminar are the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who will attend as Distinguished Guest of Honour; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, as Special Guest of Honour; and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), as Guest of Honour.
According to the organisers, the biennial seminar is designed to provide a strategic platform for Justices, Judges, legal practitioners, maritime professionals and policymakers to examine contemporary legal challenges, emerging trends and global best practices in maritime law.
The programme also aims to strengthen judicial capacity and promote efficient, consistent and commercially responsive adjudication of maritime disputes, thereby supporting trade facilitation and investment within Nigeria’s maritime sector.
Participants will engage in discussions on a range of topical issues affecting maritime commerce and dispute resolution. Key presentations will focus on the Admiralty Jurisdiction (Procedure) Rules, 2023 and their implications for maritime adjudication; ship mortgages and the role of the International Convention on the Judicial Sale of Ships; maritime cargo claims in the era of port concessioning; and evolving approaches to maritime dispute resolution through arbitration, courts and hybrid justice systems.
Other sessions will examine the legal characterization of demurrage, detention and storage charges, as well as risk allocation mechanisms and international best practices in maritime trade.
In a demonstration of its growing regional influence, the seminar is expected to attract Chief Justices from The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia and Sierra Leone, alongside Judges and Justices from their respective jurisdictions. Their participation is expected to deepen cross-border judicial cooperation and facilitate the exchange of knowledge on maritime jurisprudence across Africa.
The gathering will also feature Justices of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, Judges of the Federal and State High Courts, legal advisers, in-house counsel, maritime lawyers, academics, regulators and other stakeholders from across the maritime and legal sectors.
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council said the seminar reflects its continued commitment to advancing maritime justice through judicial engagement, knowledge sharing and the development of legal frameworks that support trade growth and the development of Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.
