U.S. Coast Guard Removes Conditions of Entry for Nigeria
Date issued: 28 August 2026
This document has been approved for distribution by Ambrey Analytics Ltd.
“Ambrey assesses that Nigeria’s removal from the USCG Port Security Advisory List is a positive development and reflects sustained improvements in the country’s implementation of international port-security requirements. The change removes additional security and reporting requirements for vessels arriving in the United States where an affected Nigerian port had previously fallen within their last five port calls. However, the decision relates specifically to port-security compliance and does not indicate a corresponding reduction in the wider maritime-security threat in Nigerian waters.”
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has removed Nigeria from its Port Security Advisory List after determining that the country is maintaining effective anti-terrorism measures at its ports.
- The decision removes Conditions of Entry (CoE) that had applied to vessels calling at affected Nigerian ports before proceeding to the United States since 2014.
- The removal follows a period of engagement between the USCG and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), including a three-year programme to assess and improve compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
- The most immediate impact will be for vessels trading between Nigeria and the United States, which will no longer be required to implement the additional measures previously associated with affected Nigerian port calls.
- Ambrey vessel-tracking data identified 10 vessels that sailed directly between Nigeria and the United States during the past month. This indicates that the direct operational impact of the change is limited to a relatively small number of voyages.
- The decision is a positive development for Nigeria’s port-security status. However, it does not indicate a corresponding reduction in piracy, kidnapping-for-ransom or wider maritime-crime risk in Nigerian waters.
SITUATION
Nigeria had been subject to U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Conditions of Entry (CoE) since 2014, after the USCG determined that effective anti-terrorism measures were not being maintained at a number of Nigerian port facilities. Some individual terminals were exempt from these requirements.
The CoE applied to vessels arriving in the United States after calling at an affected Nigerian port during their previous five port calls. While at an affected facility, vessels were required to implement additional precautions, including security measures equivalent to Security Level 2, enhanced monitoring of vessel access points and attempts to execute a Declaration of Security. These measures were required to be recorded and reported to the USCG before the vessel entered U.S. waters. Depending on the outcome of a subsequent USCG examination, vessels could also be required to implement further…