SCAN summit tackles indigenous shipping challenges as foreigners corner 95% carriage
By Anthony Nwachukwu
Legal luminary Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, will be leading other maritime stakeholders as keynote speaker in charting solutions to the unnerving financing and regulatory bottlenecks to indigenous ship ownership at the forthcoming summit of the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria (SCAN).
Also, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Temisan Omatseye, will chair the summit, which will hold on October 29, 2026, at the Rockview Hotels, Apapa, Lagos.
Centered around the theme, “Low-Risk Capital for Indigenous Shipowners: Overcoming Regulatory, Financial Bottlenecks”, the summit aims to chart actionable pathways for unlocking adequate funding and creating an enabling environment that increases the participation and capacity of Nigeria-owned vessels in domestic and international waters.
SCAN President, Moses Ebosele, said that despite Nigeria’s rich maritime potential, foreign operators have continued to dominate the nation’s maritime domain, controlling over 95 per cent of the carriage of Nigerian imports, exports, and associated freight earnings, while local participation remains critically low as indigenous ship owners capture only about 5 per cent of the market.
Attributing the development largely to systemic funding gaps, high interest rates and regulatory bottlenecks faced by local shipowners, Ebosele said the 2026 SCAN Summit is poised to gather key decision-makers, regulatory bodies, maritime experts, and primary lending institutions to forge sustainable solutions and bridge the financing gap for local shipowners.
Other guests of honour expected at the event include the NIMASA Director-General, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Pius Akutah, and the President of the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria, Mr Sonny Eja, among other key industry players and policymakers.
Through structured panel discussions and strategic dialogues, the summit aims to deliver practical recommendations that will enhance local vessel ownership, boost national fleet capacity, and bolster Nigeria’s blue economy.
