Section 14: Change of name of ship

(1)
If the approval of the Agency is required to enable a ship to be registered in Nigeria in the name by which it is proposed to be registered or if the Agency's approval is required to change the name of any ship registered in Nigeria an application shall be made to the Agency in writing.
(2)
Subject to the provisions of this part of this Act and any rules made or deemed to have been made pursuant to this Act, the Agency may, in it's discretion, give approval to the registration of the ship by the name proposed or as the case may be, to the proposed change of the name by which the ship is registered.
(3)
Upon giving an approval under subsection (2) of this section, the Agency may, and shall in any case where any rules made or deemed to have been made pursuant to Section 15 so direct, require notice of the approval to be given in such form and manner as he thinks fit or as the rules require, before the name of the ship is marked on the ship or before the name of the ship is entered on the register, or, in the case of a change of name of a ship registered in Nigeria, before the name of the ship is altered in the registers.
(4)
The approval of the Agency under this section shall be in writing signed by the Minister or on his behalf by any person authorized by the Minister and if the approval is given under any rules made or deemed to have been made pursuant to this Part shall contain a statement of the conditions, if any, subject to which the approval
is given.
(5)
On the approval of the Agency under this section being obtained, and upon the giving of such notice, if any, as is required:
(a)
if the approval relates to an application to register a ship in Nigeria, the Registrar to whom the application is made, upon delivery to him of the document signifying the Agency's approval and on the other requisites to registration being duly complied with, shall register the ship by the name proposed in accordance with the provisions of this part; or
(b)
if the approval relates to an application to change the name of a ship registered in Nigeria, the Registrar at the ship's port of registry, upon delivery to him of the ship's certificate of registry and the document signifying the Agency's approval, shall alter the name in the register book, and shall endorse and sign a memorandum of the alteration on the ship's certificate of registry.
(6)
When the name of a ship registered in Nigeria is changed under this section, the name of the ship upon its bows and stern shall, immediately be altered correspondingly and if default is made in compliance with this subsection, the owner of the ship commits an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine not less than one
hundred thousand Naira and the ship may be detained by a customs officer or detaining officer until this subsection is complied with.
(7)
Any document purporting to signify the approval of the Agency in respect of an application under this section and to be signed by the Minister or any person authorized by him for the purpose, shall be admissible in evidence.