The United States has lifted the 12-year Condition of Entry imposed on Nigerian vessels arriving at its ports, a move expected to boost Nigeria’s maritime competitiveness, improve vessel turnaround times and enhance schedule reliability.

Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, disclosed this in a statement shared by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency on its X page on Tuesday.

The Condition of Entry was imposed by the US Coast Guard in June 2014 amid concerns over Nigeria’s compliance with international maritime security standards at some port facilities.

Its removal is expected to ease additional security requirements and reduce related costs for vessels operating between Nigeria and the United States, while also strengthening Nigeria’s position in the global shipping industry.

Oyetola described the removal of the Condition of Entry as a major milestone for Nigeria’s maritime sector, crediting sustained efforts by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, NIMASA and other stakeholders to enhance maritime security and ensure compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code.

“A major milestone for Nigeria’s maritime sector as the United States Coast Guard (USCG) lifts the Condition of Entry (CoE) imposed on vessels arriving in the US from Nigeria since June 2014.”
“The development follows sustained efforts by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, NIMASA and stakeholders to strengthen maritime security and ensure compliance with the ISPS Code,” the statement read in part.

The minister commended NIMASA Director-General, Dayo Mobereola, and other stakeholders for their efforts in securing the removal of the restriction.

According to the statement, the development is expected to boost port competitiveness by easing some of the additional security requirements previously imposed on vessels operating between Nigeria and the United States. It is also expected to improve vessel turnaround times and schedule reliability while lowering associated security-related costs.

The US Coast Guard imposed the Conditions of Entry in June 2014 after determining that Nigerian ports, except for specified facilities, had not maintained effective anti-terrorism measures.

In a notice published in the Federal Register on June 12, 2014, the US Coast Guard cited deficiencies in Nigeria’s legal framework, designated authority oversight, access control and cargo control.

The Conditions of Entry took effect on June 26, 2014, and applied to vessels that had called at a non-exempt Nigerian port during their previous five port visits.

Under the measures, affected vessels were required to implement security measures equivalent to Security Level 2 while in Nigerian ports and ensure that all access points to the vessels were continuously guarded.

The Coast Guard said it notified Nigeria of the determination on March 26, 2013, and provided recommendations to strengthen its anti-terrorism measures, giving the country 90 days to respond.

However, the agency said it was unable to confirm that the identified deficiencies had been addressed.

The 2014 notice exempted specific Nigerian port facilities from the Conditions of Entry, including terminals in Apapa, Bonny, Escravos, Forcados, Onne and Tin Can Island.