Framework for Management and Control of Marine Pollution in Nigeria Seaports

Existing studies show that effort made so far in curtailing marine pollution in ports of developing economies is marred by lack of administrative controls and inadequate provision of waste reception facilities at the ports. In this paper, sources of marine pollution and effects of particularly ship-based pollutants on marine environment were examined. The institutional arrangement for addressing marine pollution from ships visiting Nigeria ports is evaluated within the context of Marine Pollution (MARPOL) convention provisions and the obligations of coastal, flag states and port state control in ensuring compliance. It was found that in Nigeria ports, ship-generated waste control services and provision of waste reception facilities are outsourced to a private company with no requirement for activity audit. Apart from the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), other government agencies are also involved in pollution monitoring and control. Given this scenario, it is envisaged that functions could be duplicated and monitoring/control efforts potentially weakened by conflicts of interests. An integrated administrative framework model is therefore proposed to address these managerial issues. Policy implications of the model developed are discussed.