Nigeria
- Who issues it
- National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA): inland waterways. Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA): seafarer certification and GMDSS endorsements.
- Minimum age
- 18 years
- Buoyage
- IALA region A
Do you need a licence?
On inland waterways, NIWA requires qualified pleasure/speedboat and cruise-yacht boatmasters, and a boating safety course for dinghy/rowboat operators. Anyone steering must be at least 18. Coastal leisure rules and licence exemptions were not confirmed.
Boating safety course
- What it lets you do
- Listed for inland dinghy/rowboat operators.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Boat Drivers License (BDL)
- What it lets you do
- Listed for inland pleasure/speedboat boatmasters.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Power Driven Small Craft Operator (PDSC)
From 18- What it lets you do
- Domestic professional qualification listed for inland pleasure/speedboat boatmasters.
- How you get it
- NIMASA's 2019 sheet: oral only, covering boat handling, helm orders, lights, inland collision rules, safety and emergencies.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
River Master
From 18- What it lets you do
- Listed for inland houseboat, cruise-yacht and pleasure/speedboat boatmasters.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Professional deck titles
Rating forming part of a Navigational Watch
STCW II/4- What it lets you do
- Support-level navigational watch duties on seagoing ships.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Able Seafarer Deck
STCW II/5- What it lets you do
- Qualified deck-rating duties at support level on seagoing ships.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Officer in charge of a Navigational Watch / Master — less than 500 GT, near-coastal voyages
STCW II/3- What it lets you do
- Two separate certificates: watchkeeping officer and master, each for ships below 500 GT on near-coastal voyages.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Officer in charge of a Navigational Watch — Unlimited
STCW II/1- What it lets you do
- Watchkeeping on unlimited voyages; NIMASA also lists below-3,000-GT and near-coastal grades.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Chief Mate — Unlimited / less than 3,000 GT
STCW II/2- What it lets you do
- Chief mate within the certificate's limit; NIMASA also lists a below-500-GT grade.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Master — Unlimited / less than 3,000 GT
STCW II/2- What it lets you do
- Command on unlimited voyages, with a separate grade for ships below 3,000 GT.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Radio certificates
GMDSS Restricted Operator Certificate (ROC)
ROC- What it lets you do
- Restricted GMDSS radio qualification listed in NIMASA-approved training.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
GMDSS General Operators Certificate (GOC)
GOC- What it lets you do
- General GMDSS radio qualification; approved training certificates need NIMASA endorsement.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Ready to study for it?
The Academy is free with an account: lessons for every topic, timed mocks marked like the real exam, and your progress saved.
Official sources: National Inland Waterways Authority — Inland Waterways Transportation Regulations, 2023, regulations 4, 11 and 12 and Twelfth Schedule · NIMASA — Power Driven Small Craft Operator (PDSC), requirements, updated 3 October 2019 · NIMASA — Coxswain requirements, including IALA buoyage system A · NIMASA — Guidelines for the Accreditation of Maritime Training Institutions and Courses, 2020 revised edition, pages 46–47 · NIMASA — Approved Maritime Training Institutions and Courses, updated 23 June 2025 · NIMASA — Certificate of Competency / Proficiency Eligibility Requirement Table: Deck Department · NIMASA — River Master requirements, updated 3 October 2019 · NIMASA — New Standards for Seafarers’ Education, Training, Assessment, Examination and Certification, 9 August 2026