Section 5: Certificate or license required by all ships trading in Nigeria

(1)
No ship shall operate commercially in or from the waters of Nigeria unless the ship is-
(a)
a registered Nigerian ship;
(b)
provided with a certificate of foreign registration or other document similar or equivalent to that required by this Act;
(c)
registered by the law of a country other than Nigeria as a ship of that country and is by the law of that country exempted from registration;
(d)
pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, exempted from registration under this Act; or
(e)
a licensed Nigerian ship operating solely within the waters of Nigeria.
(2)
The Minister may by notice exempt generally or specifically from registration under this Act, a licensed Nigerian ship or a class of Nigerian ship when operating outside the waters of Nigeria.
(3)
Every register, certificate or license authorized or required by this section may be proved certified under the hand of the Minister, the Registrar of ships or any person duly authorized to deputize for the Registrar, or any other person who has charge of the original and is required to furnish to every person applying at a reasonable time for the same and paying such fee as shall be prescribed.
(4)
Every document when proved as required under subsection (3) of this section shall, until the contrary is proved, be received as evidence of all matters recited, stated or appearing in it.
(5)
An owner, chatterer, agent or master of a ship who contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) of this section commits an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine not less than five hundred thousand Naira and the ship shall be liable to be detained by any officer of customs or other designated officer.