The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute (NJI), is set to host Chief Justices, Supreme Court Justices, judges and leading maritime law experts from Nigeria and across Africa at the 18th International Maritime Seminar for Judges in Abuja.
The three-day seminar, scheduled for July 22 to 24, 2026, will take place at the Ballroom of the Ladi Kwali Conference Centre, Abuja Continental Hotel (formerly Sheraton Hotel), and marks 31 years of advancing judicial capacity in maritime law and admiralty practice since the programme was established in 1995.
The biennial event has grown into Nigeria’s foremost judicial forum on maritime law, providing a platform for judges, legal practitioners, maritime experts, policymakers and industry stakeholders to examine emerging legal issues, global best practices and evolving trends in international maritime commerce.
The seminar 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, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, will serve as Host.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, is expected as the Distinguished Guest of Honour, alongside the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, who will attend as Special Guest of Honour. The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN, will participate as Guest of Honour.
This year’s seminar will feature presentations by eminent jurists, maritime law practitioners, academics and international experts focusing on contemporary issues shaping maritime adjudication.
Discussions will examine the implementation of the Admiralty Jurisdiction (Procedure) Rules, 2023, ship mortgages and the International Convention on the Judicial Sale of Ships, liability and proof in maritime cargo claims under Nigeria’s port concession regime, alignment of Nigeria’s maritime dispute resolution framework with global arbitration and hybrid justice practices, as well as the legal implications of demurrage, detention and storage charges.
Beyond Nigeria, the seminar is expected to attract Chief Justices from The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia and Sierra Leone, accompanied by judges from their respective judiciaries, further reinforcing the event’s growing regional influence and international standing.
Participants will also include 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 across the maritime industry.
According to the organisers, the seminar is designed to strengthen judicial capacity, encourage consistency in maritime jurisprudence and promote a more efficient, commercially responsive system for resolving maritime disputes in Nigeria and across the West African sub-region.