Section 32: Power to grant new certificate

(1)
The Registrar at the port of registry of a ship registered in Nigeria may, with the approval of the Agency and on the delivery to him of the certificate of registration of the ship, grant a new certificate in lieu of the old one.
(2)
In the event of the certificate of registration of a ship registered in Nigeria being Iost or destroyed, the Registrar at the port of registry of the ship shall upon being satisfied of the loss or destruction grant a new certificate of registration in lieu of the original certificate of the registration.
(3)
If, in the case of a ship registered in Nigeria, the event referred to in subsection (2) of this section, occurs while the ship is at a port outside Nigeria, or if, after the occurrence of the event, the ship first arrives at a port outside Nigeria, the master of the ship, or another person having knowledge of the facts of the case, shall furnish the appropriate officer at that port with a declaration stating the facts of the case and the names and descriptions of the registered owners of the ship and the proper officer may, upon the declaration, grant a provisional certificate of registration, in a form approved by the Agency and the provisional certificate shall contain a statement of the circumstances in which it is granted.
(4)
Whenever the appropriate officer grants a provisional certificate under subsection (3) of this section, the officer shall transmit a copy of that certificate to the Registrar at the ship's port of registry.
(5)
The master of a ship in respect of which a provisional certificate has been granted under subsection (3) of this section, shall within ten days after the first subsequent arrival of the ship at a port in Nigeria, deliver the provisional certificate:
(a) to the Registrar at that port; or
(b)
if there is no Registrar at that port, to the Registrar at the ship's port of registry.
(6)
If the master of the ship fails to comply with the provisions of subsection (5), he commits an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine not less than one hundred thousand Naira.
(7)
If a provisional certificate is delivered under subsection (5) to a Registrar who is not the Registrar at the ship's port of registry, he shall immediately forward the certificate to the Registrar at the ship's port of registry.
(8)
Upon receipt of a provisional certificate granted under this section, the Registrar at the ship's port of registry shall grant a new certificate of registration.