Section 298: Further powers to exempt ships of novel design

(1)
On the application of the owner of a Nigerian ship to which this part applies and the ship is either an existing ship of not less than one hundred and fifty gross tons or a new ship of not less than twenty-four metres in length, the Minister may exempt the ship if in his opinion the ship embodies features of a novel kind such that, if the ship had to comply with the requirements of this part, the development of those features and their incorporation in the ship might be seriously impeded.
(2)
On the application of the owner of a Nigerian ship to which this part applies, and which is-
(a)
an existing ship of less than one hundred and fifty gross tons or a new ship of less than twenty-four metres in length; or
(b)
a ship, not falling within paragraph (a), which does not ply on international voyages, the Minister may exempt the ship.
(3)
Without prejudice to subsection (2) of this section, where a Nigerian ship to which this Part applies is an existing ship of not less than one hundred and fifty gross tons or a new ship of not less than twenty-four metres in length, does not normally ply on international voyages but is in exceptional circumstances, required to undertake a single international voyage, the Minister, on the application of the owner of the ship, specifying the international voyage in question, may exempt the ship while engaged on that voyage.
(4)
Any exemption under this section may be granted subject to such conditions a the Minister thinks fit, and where any such conditions exist, the exemption shall not have effect unless those conditions are complied with.