LAGOS, Nigeria — The United States has formally praised Nigeria for strengthening security at its seaports after the U.S. Coast Guard ended a 12-year restriction requiring ships arriving from Nigerian ports to take additional security measures before entering U.S. waters.
The Coast Guard removed Nigeria from its list of countries subject to the special requirements in a Port Security Advisory dated Aug. 19. It said Nigeria was now maintaining effective anti-terrorism measures at its ports.
The decision could reduce some security-related costs and delays for shipping companies operating between Nigeria and the United States. Nigerian officials also hope it will improve port competitiveness and strengthen international trade, although freight costs will still depend on fuel prices, insurance, port efficiency and wider shipping conditions.
Garcia said the decision reflected Nigeria’s “sustained strengthening of port security and anti-terrorism compliance.” He said the change should reduce security-related requirements and costs while improving vessel turnaround times and schedule reliability.
The restrictions, known as a Condition of Entry, had been in effect since June 25, 2014. They applied to U.S.-bound vessels that had called at designated Nigerian ports among their previous five port calls.
Under the U.S. Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, the Coast Guard assesses anti-terrorism measures at foreign ports and can impose additional conditions when it considers safeguards inadequate.
Those assessments reviewed Nigeria’s compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code, or ISPS Code, which sets global standards for protecting ships, crews, cargo and port facilities.
The ISPS Code was developed through the International Maritime Organization after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and became mandatory for international shipping in 2004.
Nigeria’s security challenges have historically extended beyond its ports. For years, the Gulf of Guinea was considered one of the world’s most dangerous regions for piracy, armed robbery at sea and the kidnapping of sailors.
Nigeria responded with measures including a 2019 anti-piracy law and the Deep Blue Project, formally launched in 2021. The project combines patrol vessels, aircraft, helicopters, surveillance drones, interceptor boats and specially trained personnel.
International Maritime Bureau figures cited by NIMASA showed Nigeria reporting four piracy and armed-robbery incidents in the first nine months of 2021, down from 17 in the same period in 2020 and 41 in 2018.
The decline did not eliminate maritime threats, and security agencies have warned that piracy, cargo theft and illegal oil operations can return if enforcement weakens.
The development has wider significance because Nigerian ports serve Africa’s most populous country and one of its largest economies. Improved maritime security can strengthen regional supply chains carrying energy products, manufactured goods, agricultural commodities and containerized cargo.
It also comes as governments and shipping companies face growing concerns over the security of global sea routes. Conflicts and attacks on commercial shipping elsewhere have shown how quickly disruptions can increase transportation costs and interfere with international supply chains.
The decision does not exempt ships from Nigeria from normal U.S. customs, immigration or maritime-security checks. What has ended is the additional security regime imposed specifically because Nigerian ports were judged in 2014 not to meet the relevant U.S. anti-terrorism standards.
For Nigeria, the longer-term challenge will be maintaining those security standards and turning the policy change into faster shipping, lower operating costs and increased international trade.
