Abstract

This article examines the persistence of shipwrecks and derelict vessels in Nigerian waters through a critical analysis of Protection and Indemnity insurance as a mechanism for enforcing maritime liability. It moves beyond conventional explanations centred on cost and administrative inefficiency and instead interrogates the structural relationship between legal responsibility and financial security within Nigeria's maritime legal framework. Drawing on a doctrinal methodology supported by comparative and policy analysis, the paper evaluates relevant statutes, case law, and international instruments, particularly the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks 2007. The findings reveal that although Nigerian law formally assigns responsibility for wreck removal, it lacks the financial architecture necessary to ensure effective enforcement. Institutional fragmentation, weak insurance enforcement, and partial domestication of international obligations combine to produce a regime in which liability is uncertain and frequently ineffective in practice. The article argues that this structural deficiency significantly contributes to the continued presence of wrecks and derelict vessels in Nigeria's marine environment. In light of this, it advocates the establishment of a Nigerian Protection and Indemnity Club structured as a company limited by guarantee, with the capacity to provide mutual insurance and indemnity services tailored to the needs of shippers and cargo interests, as a necessary step toward aligning legal obligations with practical enforcement and strengthening maritime governance.