Shipping firms in Nigeria record 2,300 stowaways annually

The Shipping Association of Nigeria, SAN, has raised concerns over the persistent incidence of stowaways at Nigerian port berths, revealing that vessels recorded about 2,300 security infractions in 2025.

Speaking to newsmen in Lagos, the association’s chairman, Boma Alabi, SAN, lamented that despite payments made to government agencies responsible for safeguarding vessels at berth, criminal elements still manage to gain unauthorised access to ships.

Alabi further noted that about 15 foreign shipping lines currently operate in Nigeria, and each records two to three stowaway incidents per week, a trend she described as “deeply troubling.”

According to her, despite the sanctions imposed on shipping companies, they are also compelled to bear the cost of repatriating the stowaways.

She said, “Stowaway is another major issue shipping companies are grappling with right now. The policy for sanctioning shipping companies has to change, as they are not at fault in any stowaway case.

“We have two or three stowaways every week, and there are about 15 shipping companies operating in Nigeria. Each arrested stowaway is subject to a $2,000 sanction, paid by the shipping firm.

“Immigration collects the sanctions for stowaways, yet we still pay government agencies in dollars for the protection and safety of these vessels, since the government has dollarized the Nigerian maritime industry.

“We have agencies working in the ports, and they must be efficient in what they do, because whatever happens in the maritime industry affects every one of us.”

Reacting to the association’s claims, Ikechukwu Igunna, a Port Security Officer with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), argued that the figures being circulated may not be accurate, noting that Apapa Port alone had recorded only about 10 stowaway cases this year.

Igunna, however, advised our correspondent to consult the International Maritime Bureau’s website for verified stowaway data.
In his comments, Mr Akinola Akinlabi, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, countered the figures by the association, saying that “what we have is not near that number.”