Olisa Agbakoba Legal (OAL) hosted its maiden Maritime Policy Roundtable on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Lagos. The event brought together stakeholders from Nigeria’s banking, insurance, maritime and ship-management sectors to discuss practical measures to de-risk lending under the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF).
The roundtable, themed “Securing the Future of Vessel Financing in Nigeria,” explored the legal, financial and operational frameworks required to support sustainable vessel financing, protect financial institutions and strengthen indigenous participation in Nigeria’s maritime industry.
The event opened with remarks by Yvonne Ezekiel, Managing Partner of OAL, who welcomed participants and highlighted the importance of stakeholder collaboration in developing practical solutions to Nigeria’s vessel-financing challenges..
Dr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, Senior Partner at OAL, provided the historical background of the CVFF, tracing its development within Nigeria’s broader efforts to promote maritime sovereignty, indigenous vessel ownership and greater Nigerian participation in the shipping industry.
Collins Okeke, Partner at OAL, delivered a presentation on de-risking lending under the CVFF. He outlined legal and credit-risk measures that could help financial institutions assess CVFF applications, protect their loan portfolios and reduce exposure to non-performing loans. The discussion covered credit-risk assessment, corporate and regulatory due diligence, security and facility structuring, and effective default and recovery mechanisms.
Capt. Nicolas Bernard, AFNI, Managing Director of NBC Maritime Ltd., spoke on the importance of engaging professional ship managers from the early stages of vessel acquisition. His presentation examined how effective technical management, preventive maintenance, regulatory compliance, crew management and financial oversight can reduce operational risks and preserve long-term asset value.
The roundtable featured representatives from leading financial institutions, insurance companies and maritime organisations, including Fidelity Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, TAJBank, Lotus Bank, the Bank of Industry, SUNU Assurances Nigeria Plc, Capstone Insurance Brokers Limited, NBC Maritime and Seamate Group.
In his closing remarks, Dr Agbakoba announced that another roundtable would be held soon, with broader participation from shipowners, more financial institutions and representatives of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.