• Friday, March 29, 2024
businessday logo

BusinessDay

NMLA ex-president, Ilogu seeks training of young maritime lawyers

NMLA 1

Chidi Ilogu, immediate past president of the Nigeria Maritime Law Association (NMLA), has called for the training of youths in admiralty law.

Ilogu, who is also the Senior Partner of Foundation Chambers, spoke in Lagos during the inauguration of the new executives of NMLA. The event also marked the official induction of a new partner of Foundation Chambers, Kashimana Tsumba, who heads the Shipping, Multi-Modalism and Corporate practice arm of the firm.

He said that one of the problems facing the maritime industry is lack of good understanding of admiralty practice by lawyers.

Ilogu, while appreciating NMLA members for their support during his tenure, urged them to extend the same support to the new executives.

On the induction of a new partner into Foundation Chamber, Ilogu expressed confidence that the new partner will contribute to building of a sustainable team in the Chamber.

Funke Agbor, newly elected president of NMLA, promised to push for reforms to curb delays in administering judgments in claims involving arrests of vessels and other cases concerning maritime and shipping development in Nigeria.

Agbor, who expressed concerns over delays in maritime cases in Nigeria, said the reform proposal has already been submitted to the Federal High Court and would soon be forwarded to the National Assembly.

“The jurisdiction of the court where they are arresting vessels all over the world is done speedily but in Nigeria, it takes too long and it is because the courts are overburden and there are not enough judges with the knowledge. We also want to assist the court by proposing certain reforms that will aid the work of both the judiciary and the practitioners and the people who use the bigger services in the admiralty sector,” she said.

Agbor also harped on the need for a legislation that will facilitate the prosecution of pirates and perpetrators of other maritime crimes.