Dr. Emeka Akabogu

Dr. Emeka Akabogu, SAN is a distinguished Senior Advocate of Nigeria specialising in petroleum, shipping, maritime law, and international trade. He is the Vice Chairman of OTL Downstream Development in Africa Ltd/Gte, Africa's foremost and largest downstream petroleum forum, He is the Founder and Convener of the Nigeria International Maritime Summit. He also sits on the global General Assembly of the Comité Maritime International, he is Vice President of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association and sits on the Board of Governors of the Centre for Petroleum Information. A Senior Partner at Akabogu & Associates, he uniquely combines deep legal expertise with hands-on knowledge of petroleum and shipping markets. He was instrumental in drafting landmark Nigerian maritime legislation including the Cabotage Act 2003, the Marine Environmental Management Regulations 2012, and the Nigerian Stevedoring Regulations 2014. He holds a law degree from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, an LL.M. from University College London, and a Magister Juris from International Maritime Organization (IMO) and is the first African recipient of a PhD from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), International Maritime Law Institute, Malta. He has published several works including Maritime Cabotage in Nigeria, Ship Arrest in Nigeria, and Nigerian Ports Law and Practice. He is co-editor of the Nigerian Shipping Cases and editor of the Journal of Contemporary Nigerian Admiralty Law.

Session Overview

Thursday, 5 November

13:40

Maritime & Logistics Plenary Hall A 13:40 - 14:10

The new rules of shipping: operating in a rewired energy system

Ship operations are being reshaped by a convergence of regulatory pressure, evolving fuel requirements and changing trade dynamics. A once-standardised operating model is becoming more complex, with operators managing multiple fuel pathways, compliance regimes and shifting route economics simultaneously. Decisions on fleet deployment, voyage planning, fuel sourcing and onboard operations now carry broader implications for efficiency, resilience and commercial performance. Balancing these competing demands is producing new approaches to managing risk and protecting margin. These shifts are redefining how operational decisions are made, with direct implications for efficiency, risk and commercial performance.

Attendee Insights:
Understand how shipowners and operators are adapting fleet deployment, voyage strategies and onboard operations as regulatory pressure, fuel choices and trade dynamics grow more complex.