Left-Right: Governor of Akwa Ibom State (Pst) Umo Eno, Akin Kekere-ekun, Paul Usoro husband of the Author, Mfon Ekong Usoro President Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Author International Trade & Carriage of Goods By Sea : Text, Cases, and Materials, Chief of Nigeria, Hon Justice Kudirat Kekere-ekun, Hon Justice Umaru Abdullahi, PCA (Rtd), President Dangote Group Alh. Aliko Dangote at the Launching and Unveiling held in Lagos on 6th May, 2025
Governor of Akwa Ibom State (Pst) Umo Eno, Akin Kekere-ekun, Paul Usoro husband of the Author, Mfon Ekong Usoro President Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Author International Trade & Carriage of Goods By Sea : Text, Cases, and Materials, Chief of Nigeria, Hon Justice Kudirat Kekere-ekun, Hon Justice Umaru Abdullahi, PCA (Rtd), President Dangote Group Alh. Aliko Dangote at the Launching and Unveiling held on Lagos on 6th May, 2025
Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group of Companies ,Pastor Umo Eno, Akwa Ibom State Governor and other dignitaries from legal, maritime , business and political class have commended Mrs Mfon Ekong Usoro for authoring a book on International Trade and Carriage of Good by Sea: Text, Cases and Materials.
At the book launch in Lagos and In a significant literary event, they all described the book as a rich reference literature coming from a combination of experience, hardwork and selfless service by the author, who is also the president Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event Mrs. Usoro expressed her heartfelt gratitude to everyone in attendance, emphasising the importance of her book reaching a broad audience beyond the legal sector. She stressed that the book’s insights and knowledge should be shared widely among industries affected by its themes, encouraging readers to study and apply its principles.
In an exciting revelation, she announced that she is already 50% done with her second book. She said the vision for her book is to provide valuable resources that can inform, educate, and inspire industry stakeholders as dedication to her craft and commitment to sharing knowledge are evident in the high quality of her work.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun in her speech said that the book written by Usoro is truly a landmark contribution to Nigeria’s literature and practice in maritime law. She added that having had the privilege of writing the foreword to the cerebral work, she was elated to be present for its formal presentation to the public.
Speaking further, she noted that Usoro’s achievement is commendable for its timeliness as Nigeria’s role as a burgeoning maritime hub, the heart of West Africa’s trade, demands a scholarly work such as the book presented brings together domestic statutes, international conventions, and global best practices into one cohesive whole.
Kekere Ekun added that with over 600 meticulously researched papers, Mrs. Usoro guides the maritime sector from the sale and financing of goods through every phase of carrying by sea to post-delivery remedies and the ever-crucial question of jurisdiction. The book does more than review legal texts, and illustrates them with diagrams, real-world case studies, with a narrative clarity that speaks to practitioners, bankers, port administrators, and indeed judicial officers alike.
The book she said will bridge the familiar gap between the ivory tower of academic theory and the gritty realities of cross-border commerce. The letter of credit mired in bureaucracy, the bill of lading whose fine print can make or break fortunes, the traps of conflicting laws when cargo is lost or damaged at sea.
“Today, we celebrate the arrival of a text that will become foundational for our courts, our law schools, and the entire maritime industry. Mrs. Usoro’s own journey as a pioneer director general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA), secretary general of the Port State Control Memorandum of Understanding, a past officer of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association, and now a thought leader on the governing board of the International Maritime Institute of Nigeria has writtenly informed every page.
“This textbook reflects the distilled wisdom of decades spent shaping policy, presiding over infrastructure projects, and advising governments and global institutions alike. In a landscape where multiple regimes, from the Rotterdam Rules to the Hague Visby Rules to our own Courage of Goods by Sea Act, must be understood and applied harmoniously, this text is exactly what our legal system needs.
“It commands respect for local precedents while drawing on legal judgments from other jurisdictions, guiding our courts to a uniform approach and giving our practitioners the confidence to negotiate, litigate, and arbitrate across borders.
I congratulate the author, her family, and her colleagues, the many librarians, research assistants, and peer reviewers whose efforts have made this possible. I congratulate the publisher for giving us a book of such physical and intellectual appeal”.
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu who was represented by the Commissioner, Commerce Trade& Investment Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem in his remarks said the event was not just not just a book presentation , but a celebration of legacy to honour a scholar, a practitioner, a pioneer, whose contributions to maritime law and governance have shaped institutions, influenced policy, and deepened Nigeria’s footprint in global trade discourse.
He said the book being launched , is an authoritative codex that bridges the domains of legal scholarship, commercial pragmatism, and public service. It is culmination of decades of institutional memory, distilled with clarity on contextual intelligence.
While acknowledging that in today’s world, over 90% of global trade is conveyed by sea as Maritime law is no longer a niche specialization but a cornerstone of sovereign competitiveness.
For Lagos State, whose ports account for over 70% of Nigeria’s import and export traffic, and where the logistics ecosystem sustains over a million jobs, this book could not have arrived at a more opportune moment.
Sanwo-Olu reiterated that he is building Lagos into a global maritime hub, a smart port city, where ships berth, not only for commerce, but for confidence in systems, governance, and law. From the Lekki deep sea port to the Badagry port project, and the redevelopment of Tin Can Island, Lagos is not waiting for the future. He is engineering it.
“As a state that is deeply committed to the Lagos State Development Plan, LSDP 2052, this work aligns seamlessly with our pillars of economic diversification, knowledge-based growth, and global positioning.
Our Lagos State Industrial Policy 2025 to 2030 sets clear imperatives for a logistics-driven economy that is both digitally enabled and legally sound.Under the themes plus agenda, particularly in making Lagos State a 21st century economy and governance and security, this book provides the intellectual infrastructure for the future we are designing.
“Indeed, Lagos is home to Africa’s most ambitious experiment in integrated maritime and industrial growth. From our free trade zones to our inland dry ports and economic clusters, we are unlocking new corridors of commerce, but none of this will reach its full potential without the jurisprudential clarity and legal fidelity that this book provides”
CEO Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote in his remarks said that regards to the indispensable nature of the intellectually stimulating and practical exposition on international trade and carriage of goods by sea, without a doubt there is a depth of local academic material that has treated or analyzed technical and complex maritime operations with several Nigerian decided cases on cross-border or international sale of goods.
He said that as stakeholder and industry practitioner he is sure that the book will become a very useful tool in the hands of international maritime practitioners, lawyers, judges and students in the relevant fields.
Dangote also noted that the treatment and analysis of documentary credits for financing international trades, the futures and the natures of letters of credit and its various complexities, parties, types and contracts associated with letters of credit as well as technical issues in relations to payment obligations relating to letters of credits are all materials which his companies and other companies involved in international trade and carriage of goods by sea will find valuable in their day-to-day international and cross-border transactions.
“In a matter of days this book will become an indispensable companion to practitioners in the maritime industry. Another notable and interesting topic of discussion is the bill of lading and all the several issues emanating from its operations. I’m indeed highly impressed in the way the author has simplified naughty issues and topics in maritime law with appropriate relevant Nigerian cases.
“My sister has again confirmed that she is a woman of high intellectual prowess who has through her dint of hard work and industry birth this book of inestimable value which I hereby without any hesitation or reservation recommend to all stakeholders and maritime industry practitioners. As I call always my dear sister, I heartily commend your brilliance and intellect in bringing this book into existence”
Governor of Akwa Ibom State, (Pst) Umo Eno in his speech said it is gratifying to note that Usoro has decided to parlay her vast knowledge and expertise as a maritime legal expert to distill issues and processes associated with international trade, financing, maritime law, among other critical issues in the book.
Speaking further on the importance of the book, he added that at a time of heightened anxieties, as a result of the tariffs that the Trump’s administration is imposing on countries across the globe, the book, he believes, will go a great extent in preparing and equipping policy makers, especially those handling international trade and maritime sector to navigate the labyrinth and complexities of the critical sector of Nigeria’s economy.
While congratulating Usoro on behalf of Akwa Ibom State and saluting her courage , he expressed pride in her professional excellence and scholarship, particularly in relation to her book, which he sees as a significant contribution to the Ibom Deep Seaport project.
Speaking at the event Mrs. Usoro expressed her heartfelt gratitude to everyone in attendance, emphasising the importance of her book reaching a broad audience beyond the legal sector. She stressed that the book’s insights and knowledge should be shared widely among industries affected by its themes, encouraging readers to study and apply its principles.
In an exciting revelation, she announced that she is already 50% done with her second book. She said the vision for her book is to provide valuable resources that can inform, educate, and inspire industry stakeholders as dedication to her craft and commitment to sharing knowledge are evident in the high quality of her work
