The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute (NJI), will host the 18th International Seminar for Judges from July 22 to 24, 2026, bringing together top judicial officers, maritime experts, legal practitioners, regulators and policymakers to examine emerging issues in global shipping law and strengthen maritime justice.
According to a statement by the NSC Head of Public Relations, Rebecca Adamu, the three-day seminar will hold at the Ballroom of the Ladi Kwali Conference Centre, Abuja Continental Hotel, under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
The biennial seminar, which has been held since 1995, has become Nigeria’s foremost judicial capacity-building platform for maritime law and admiralty practice. This year’s edition will bring together Justices of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Courts, as well as local and international maritime law experts, regulators and policymakers to address pressing legal and commercial issues shaping the maritime sector.
Discussions will focus on maritime dispute resolution, ship financing, cargo claims, ship mortgages, the Admiralty Jurisdiction (Procedure) Rules 2023, the International Convention on the Judicial Sale of Ships, and the legal characterisation of demurrage, detention and storage charges. Participants will also explore ways to strengthen Nigeria’s arbitration system, courts and other dispute resolution mechanisms in line with global best practices to improve commercial certainty and judicial efficiency.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, will chair the event, while the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, will serve as Chief Host.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, will attend as Distinguished Guest of Honour, while the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, will participate as Special Guest of Honour. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), will attend as Guest of Honour, while the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, will serve as the host minister.
Organisers said the seminar has, over the past three decades, evolved into Nigeria’s premier platform for judicial knowledge exchange, policy dialogue and commercially responsive maritime dispute resolution. The 18th edition will also attract the Chief Justices of Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia and Sierra Leone, alongside senior jurists from their respective judiciaries, underscoring the event’s growing regional and international significance.
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council said the seminar reaffirms its commitment to strengthening legal frameworks that promote trade, protect investments and unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s marine and blue economy through judicial dialogue, capacity building and international collaboration.
