Shipping, Maritime & Dredging Legal Advisory Practice

This practice area focuses on providing legal advisory services related to shipping, as well as the activities of clearing and forwarding agents, charterers, cargo interests (including commodity traders and cargo insurers), hull and liability insurers, shipyards, necessaries men, and port operators.

We advise and assist our clients on all aspects of shipping and maritime law, which includes, but is not limited to, maritime litigation, maritime financing, enforcement of judgments and awards, enforcement of mortgages and other securities, BIMCO regulations, ship registration, vessel chartering, and determining the eligibility of Nigerian-owned ships.

We also handle the licensing and temporary registration of foreign-owned ships in the special register for vessels and ship-owning companies engaged in cabotage trade. Additionally, we assist in procuring and renewing ministerial waivers and licenses for foreign-owned ships operating in Nigeria’s cabotage trade and advise clients on compliance with the Cabotage Act of 2003, the NIMASA Act of 2007, and other relevant laws governing coastal and inland shipping in Nigeria, covering all areas of admiralty jurisdiction and practice.

Moreover, we interface with regulators on compliance matters on behalf of our clients.

Selected Indicative Experience

  • Advising Navistar Limited in respect of its facility from a Trading Company for the acquisition of a Vessel.
  • Advised Scorpio Ernesto Drilling Company Limited on its Asset leasing transaction;
  • Advised Scorpio Ernesto Drilling Company Limited on its Standard Heavylift 2007 (BIMCO) Charter party with OHT Falcons.
  • Representing Nestoil Limited in a maritime litigation claim against the Nigerian Ports Authority.
  • Representing Nestoil Limited in a maritime litigation against NIWA in respect of some unauthorized charges;
  • Representing Keystone Bank Limited in an admiralty matter against DBM Limited.
  • Advised B&Q Dredging and Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited for Dredging Works in the Niger Delta (Capital and Maintenance Dredging);
  • Advised B&Q Dredging Ltd and Setraco Nigeria Limited for the sand Dredging aspect of the Dualization of the East-West Road section II (Kia ma – Port-Harcourt) project for the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
  • Legal advisory services and drafting of the Land Lease Agreement between Geo Synergy Group West Africa Limited and B&Q Dredging Limited;
  • Advised BlueBay Capital Limited and B&Q Dredging Limited for Dredging Works for the Capital Development of lkate Elegushi Ancient City, Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State;
  • Advised Julius Berger Nigeria Limited and B&Q Dredging and Marine Services
  • Limited for dredging works for Second River Niger Bridge Construction; Drafting of a Non-circumvention, Non-disclosure working Agreement between Petrolex Oil and Gas Limited and B&Q Dredging Limited;
  • Advised White Dove Shipping Company Limited and Maritime Security and Logistics Solutions
  • Limited for Patrol Boat Hire for OML 42 Operations on the ST S/Export Operations in Escravos Offshore Area.
  • Advised and prepared Memorandum of Agreement between B&Q Dredging and Marine Services Limited and Ship Side Drydock Limited.
  • Advising L&EE Construction Limited and B&Q Dredging limited Partnership Agreement for Dredge and Sand Filling Project;
  • Advised and assisted in negotiation and preparing the contract between Oro-Ogbuji Family
  • Nkpolu-Oroworukwo Rebisi (AKA Eagle Island) Port-Harcourt, Rivers State and B&Q Dredging Limited for sand dredging;a 
  • Advised, negotiated and prepared Sand Dredging agreement between HMG Nigeria Limited and a dredging company for the Bayelsa State Government.
  • Advised on the Sales and Purchase Agreement for the sale and supply of dredged sand between a dredging entity and C.C. Ossy Industry Nigeria Limited.
  • Advised on the Sales and Purchase agreement for the sale and supply of dredged sand between B&Q Dredging Limited and WOW Project Services Limited.
  • Prepared Subcontract between Energy Works Technology Limited and a dredging operator for the dredging of Aboturu Creek for the load out operations of OLT Piles by ocean-going barge/vessel.
  • Advised on the Subcontract between Nestoil Limited and B&Q Dredging Limited for the provision of dredging services (Swamp Spread Creek/River Crossing) for the K2S Pipeline Construction project.
  • Representing an indigenous maritime and dredging company on its compliance issues with National Inland Water Authority and Ministry of Mines; Procurement of permits and licenses for maritime and dredging services companies.
  • Advised equipment and support personnel a Dredging of dredging Company operations involved in the 2nd Niger project in residing issues and demands of host communities.