Customs, Navy Endorse MARAN’s Push for Nigeria’s Removal from War Risk Insurance List
Nifemi Coker
The Nigerian Navy has thrown its weight behind the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria’s (MARAN) campaign to end the classification of Nigeria as a high-risk maritime nation subject to War Risk Insurance Premiums.
Rear Admiral Michael Gregory Oamen, Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command, made the declaration on Wednesday during a courtesy visit by MARAN executives and the planning committee for the 2025 MARAN Annual Maritime Lecture (MAMAL).
Describing the continued classification as “unjust” and “unsubstantiated,” Oamen stressed that Nigeria has enjoyed more than three years of piracy-free waters, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea, owing to significant investments in maritime security.
“There is absolutely no reason why Nigeria should still be on any war risk list. For the past three to four years, there has been no piracy incident in our waters. This continued classification is unjustifiable,” he stated.
The FOC credited improved safety to the Navy’s robust presence, advanced surveillance systems like the Falcon Eye, and strong partnerships with regional navies.
He urged MARAN to escalate advocacy by engaging the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council.
MARAN President, Mr. Godfrey Bivbere, explained that this year’s MAMAL—scheduled for August 27 at Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos—will focus on “Addressing the Burden of War Risk Insurance on Nigerian Maritime Trade.”
The aim, he said, is to unite stakeholders in demanding an end to the charges, which he noted have inflated shipping costs and burdened the economy.
“We are not at war. Nigerian waters have been safe for over three years, yet shipping companies and insurers continue to impose high premiums that hurt businesses and consumers,” Bivbere said.
He disclosed MARAN’s plans to petition the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and engage directly with insurance firms, while also announcing a forthcoming maritime industry compendium to be launched in September.
Oamen pledged the Navy’s full participation in MAMAL 2025, including presenting a paper, and welcomed greater journalist access to observe naval sea exercises in the Gulf of Guinea. He commended MARAN’s role in public enlightenment and reaffirmed the Navy’s renewed partnership with the association.
The MARAN delegation expressed appreciation for the Navy’s support and vowed to use MAMAL as a platform to push for Nigeria’s removal from the War Risk Insurance list and other industry reforms.
In the same vein, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Patrick Ntadi, has expressed readiness to attend the 2025 Edition of the MARAN Annual Maritime Lecture (MAMAL).
Comptroller Ntadi, speaking during a courtesy visit by the Executive Council (EXCO) of MARAN to the Comptroller on Monday, August 4, 2025, said: “Of course, I will be willing to attend the event as the topic is very germane and critical towards addressing factors that contribute to the rising cost of goods in the country”.
Ntadi who took the visiting MARAN executives on a tour of the command explained that over two months of assuming duty at the command and under the leadership of the Comptroller General of Customs, he has been able to give the command a facelift.
The edifice now wears a fresh coat of paint with a signpost under construction to lead visitors to the command.
This transformation, he said, has not only boosted the morale among officers but also projects a professional image befitting a strategic Customs outpost such as the Western Marine Command.
‘The presence of the shanties and activities of suspicious elements milling around the shanties pose a serious security risk, so, the first thing we did was to clear the shanties after giving those encroaching on the property a month’s notice to quit,” he said.
The jetties at the Command are also been given a face lift with the ongoing renovation and construction.
Also, an office complex is being constructed by the Customs management under the leadership of Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, with Comptroller Ntadi expressing optimism on the completion of the project before the end of the year.
Comptroller Ntadi is also leaving no stones unturned in the fight against smuggling activities.
He disclosed that a few days ago, 503 bags of rice were seized and six boats used in smuggling the rice were also arrested by the command along the Badagry axis.
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