Section 64: Interpretation

In this Act:
"Agency" means the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency established under section 3 of this Act;
"Cabotage Act" means, the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003 and its amendments;
"Cargo" or "goods" includes any substance or article, livestock, mineral, ware, crude, petroleum product and merchandise of every description and any container or other item used to contain any substance or article;
"Chairman" means the Chairman of the Board of the Agency appointed under section 7(2) of this Act;
"Court" means a court of law of competent jurisdiction;
"Employers of Dock Labour" includes terminal operators, stevedoring and cargo handling companies;
"Employers of Maritime Labour" includes terminal operators, stevedoring and cargo handling companies, dock labour and seafarers employers;
"Federal legislation" means any Act of the National Assembly;
"Licence" means an authorisation to own or operate a service issued under this Act and "Licensed" or "Licensee" shall be interpreted accordingly;
"ILO" means International Labour Organisation;
"IMDG Code" means International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code issued by the IMO;
"IMO" means International Maritime Organisation;
"ISM Code" means International Ship Management Code issued by the IMO ;
"ISPS Code" International Ship and Port Facility Security Code issued by the IMO;
"Maritime Fund" is a Fund dedicated to development of indigenous shipping and shipping infrastructure in Nigeria;
"Maritime Labour" includes dockworkers and seafarers;
"Merchant Shipping Act" means Merchant Shipping Act, Cap. 224, LFN and its amendments;
"Minister" means the Federal Minister for the time being charged with the responsibility for Transport ;
"Ministry" means the Federal Ministry for the time being charged with the responsibility for Transport ;
"Nigerian Citizen" is as defined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 ;
"Nigerian Company"is a company incorporated in Nigeria in which Nigerian citizens hold at least 60 per cent of the shares as beneficial owners;
"Nigerian Waters" and "Nigerian Maritime Zone" include inland waters, territorial waters or waters of the Executive Economic Zone (respectively, together or any combination thereof) ;
"off-shore cargo handling facility" means an off-shore facility within or beyond the 'Port limits used for the transfer of cargo from a vessel to land or platform and vice versa;
"owner" in relation to :(a) goods, includes any consignor, consignee, shipper or agent for the sale, custody, shipping or landing of such goods; and
(b) any vessel, includes any part-owner, charter, consignee or mortgagee in possession of the vessel;
"person" includes a corporate body or partnership and where an individual is required to represent a corporate body or partnership in any circumstance pursuant to this Act or its subsidiary legislation it shall be sufficient if in the case of a :
(a) corporate body, it is represented by a duly authorised person; and
(b) partnership, it is represented by a partner in the partnership or a duly authorized employee of the partnership;
"port" means any place in Nigeria, navigable river or channel leading into such place having facilities for ships to moor and load or discharge including offshore cargo handling facilities, inland dry ports, harbour, berths, jetties, pontoons or buoys and wharves within the limits of the ports and includes any place declared to be a port under this Act;
"Agency undertakings" means the undertakings of an Agency that relate to the provision by the Agency of any facility or service of any description in connection with the exercise and performance of its powers and duties under any written law and includes any movablem and immovable property and the rights of the Agency that relate to such facility or service;
"premises" includes houses, buildings, structures, lands, tenements, easements and hereditaments of any tenure, whether open or enclosed, whether built on or not, whether public or private and whether maintained or not under the jurisdiction of the Agency ;
"Prescribe" means a rule, direction, or order laid down, approved or given under this Act or its subsidiary legislations or regulations or any relevant legislation;
"President" means the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ;
"Regulations" means regulations made, under this Act;
"Revenue" means any money received by the Agency by way of charges, scales of charges or other duties imposed by or under this Act and includes any money accruing to the Agency under this Act;
"Seafarers" includes every person except masters and pilots employed or engaged in any capacity on board any ship;
"Ship" includes every description of vessel used in navigation;
"This Act" includes the regulations made pursuant to this Act;
"Vessel" means any kind of vessel that is used, or capable of being used, in navigation by water, however propelled or moved, and includes:
(a) a barge, lighter, floating platforms, restaurant or other floating vessel; and
an air-cushion vehicle; or
(b) other similar craft that is used in navigation by water.