The United States Coast Guard has officially lifted the Condition of Entry (CoE) that had been imposed on vessels arriving in the United States from Nigeria for the past 12 years, the Federal Government has announced.

Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, announced on Tuesday in a statement shared on his X handle.

The CoE, first imposed in June 2014, required ships that had called at designated Nigerian ports to undergo additional security measures and heightened scrutiny before entering US ports.

Over the past two years, the US Coast Guard carried out four comprehensive assessments of Nigeria’s national maritime security framework and port facilities. These evaluations took place from 11–13 March 2024, 15–19 April 2024, 15–21 March 2025, and 13–17 April 2026.

The assessments confirmed significant improvements in Nigeria’s maritime security performance and its implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, paving the way for the removal of the CoE.

Oyetola described the decision as a major milestone for Nigeria’s maritime sector and a clear affirmation of the progress achieved in strengthening security and ensuring full compliance with the ISPS Code across the country’s ports and facilities.

He attributed the successful outcome to the sustained efforts of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and other key stakeholders.