Section 2: Interpretation

(2) In this Act-
"Cargo" means goods carried in or on a vessel whether or not of commercial value and includes livestock ;
"Coastal Trade" or "cabotage" means-
(a) the carriage of goods by vessel or any other mode of transport, from one place in Nigeria or above Nigeria waters to any other place in Nigeria or above Nigeria waters, either directly or via a place outside Nigeria and includes the carriage of goods in relation to the exploration, exploitation or transportation of the mineral or non-living natural resources of Nigeria whether in or under Nigerian waters ;
(b) the carriage of passengers by vessel from any place in Nigeria situated on a lake of river to the same place, or to any other place in Nigeria, either directly or via a place outside Nigeria to the same place without any call at any port outside Nigeria or to any other place in Nigeria, other than as an in-transit or emergency call, either directly or via a place outside Nigeria ;
(c) the carriage of passengers by vessel from any place in Nigeria to any place above or under Nigerian waters to any place in Nigeria, or from any place above Nigerian waters to the same place or to any other place above or under Nigerian waters where the carriage of the passengers is in relation to the exploration, exploitation or transportation of the mineral or non-living natural resources in or under Nigerian waters ; and
(d) the engaging, by vessel, in any other marine transportation activity of a commercial nature in Nigerian waters and, the carriage of any goods or substances whether or not of commercial value within the waters of Nigeria ;
"enforcement officer" means a person so designated to be an enforcement officer for the purposes of this Act ;
"enforcement unit" means the department within the National Maritime Authority charged with the responsibility of enforcing the provisions of this Act ;
"Exclusive Economic Zone" has the meaning given to it under the Exclusive Economic Zone Act Cap 116, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 ;
"foreign vessel" means a vessel other than a Nigerian vessel ;
"hull" means the shell, or outer casting, and internal structure below the main deck which provide both the floatation envelope and structural integrity to the vessel in its normal operation ;
"in-transit call" means any call, other than an emergency or technical call, by a vessel at any place where passenger go ashore temporarily but re-board the vessel before the vessel leaves that place or are transported by land to another location to re-board the same vessel and include cargo not discharged at the transit call ;
"inland waters" has the meaning given to it under the National Inland Waterways Authority Act, 1997 ;
"licence" means a document issued pursuant to this Act, authorizing a foreign ship or vessel to be registered for participation in the coastal trade while in Nigerian Waters ;
"master" in relation to a vessel has the same meaning as in the Merchant Shipping Act Cap, 224, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 ;
"Minister" means the head of the Ministry for the time being charged with the responsibility for matters relating to shipping and Ministry has the corresponding meaning ;
"Nigerian citizen" means a citizen of Nigeria as defined in the Nigerian Constitution ;
"Nigerian Vessel" means a vessel which is registered in Nigeria and has the meaning given to it in Section 23 (1) or (2) ;
"Nigerian waters" shall include inland waters, territorial waters or waters of the Exclusive Economic Zone (respectively, together or any combination thereof) and the meaning given to them by the National Inland Waterways Authority Act, 1997 ;
"owner", in relation to a vessel, includes the person having for the time being, either by law or by contract, the rights of the owner of the ship as regards the possession and use thereof ;
"place above Nigerian waters" in the context of "coastal trade" includes any vessel, offshore drilling unit, production platform, artificial island, subsea installation, pumping station, living accommodation, storage structure, loading or landing platform, dredge, floating crane, pipe laying or other barge or pipeline and any anchor cable or rig pad used in connection therewith ;
"superstructure" means the main deck and any other structural part above the main deck ;
"Territorial waters" has the meaning given to it under the Territorial Waters (Amendment) Act 1998 ;
"vessel" includes any description of vessel, ship, boat, hovercraft or craft, including air cushion vehicles and dynamically supported craft, designed, used or capable of being used solely or partly for marine navigation and used for the carriage on, through or under water of persons or property without regard to method or lack of propulsion ;
"vessel built in Nigeria" means where all the major component of its hull and superstructure are fabricated in Nigeria or assembled entirely in Nigeria ;
"vessel wholly manned by Nigerians" means where all the shipboard officers and crew employed aboard the vessel are exclusively of Nigerian citizenship ;
"wholly owned Nigerian vessel" means a vessel which is owned and registered in Nigeria whose 64 shares are beneficially owned by Nigerian citizens or a company registered in Nigeria with 100 per centum of its share capital beneficially owned by Nigerian citizens and the share in the vessel and the ship owning company shall be held by Nigerian citizens free from any trust or obligation in favour of non-Nigerians.