Section 82: Regulation regarding manning and qualifications or persons serving in Nigerian ship

(1)
The Minister may make such regulations as he considers necessary or expedient for the manning requirements for Nigerian ships, qualifications of officers and seamen of the ships and for matters connected with the manning and qualification and without prejudice to the generality of such powers, the Minister may make regulations:
(a)
determining the categories of Nigerian ships by reference to their tonnage capacity, the nature of their cargo and the trading areas or voyages in which they are engaged;
(b)
with respect to the manning requirements in relation to such classes or descriptions of ships as may be prescribed, trading in such areas as may be prescribed; and in particular requiring ships to carry such number of qualified officers of any description, qualified doctors and qualified cooks and such number of other seamen or qualified seamen of any description as may be specified in the regulations;
(c)
prescribing conditions as to the nationality of a person for service on board a Nigerian ship or any ship engaged in local trade in Nigerian waters;
(d)
requiring that in any case a ship shall be under the charge of a properly certificated master and that watches at sea and in port shall always be kept by appropriately qualified officers;
(e)
requiring officers and seamen and other persons performing prescribed functions in relation to the operation and maintenance of ships to be holders of certificates of competency, proficiency, qualification, authorization or otherwise and to satisfy such other conditions as may be prescribed, including conditions as to nationality and providing for the grant, revocation, extension, validation, suspension, endorsement or variation and the form and recording of the certificates;
(f)
relating to the holding and conduct of examinations for the certificates, the qualifications of candidates for such examinations and the qualifications of the examiners and the appointment, removal, re-appointment and the remuneration of the examiners, the fees for the examinations, and all such matters as the Minister may think necessary or expedient for the purpose of such examinations;
(g)
providing for the exemption of persons with prescribed qualifications or experience from the whole or parts of examinations for the certificates;
(h)
providing for the programmes of training and the curricula of study to be followed in the training of seafarers;
(i)
providing for the establishment, maintenance and operation of schools for the training of persons for certification as seafarers, and designating, from time to time; of institutions as recognised or affiliated places of training;
(j)
prescribing the manner in which enquiries may be instituted before a tribunal appointed under this Act, the procedure to be followed in the conduct of such proceedings and matters incidental to or consequential on the proceedings;
(k)
prescribing medical examinations, hours of work, safe working conditions and any other matter which may be, or is required by this Act to be prescribed.
(2)
Regulations made pursuant to subsection (1) of this Section may, in respect of the beach of any provisions of the Regulation provide penalties not less than One hundred thousand Naira or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both.