Enhancing Marine Fuel Supply Chain Resilience: A Comparative Study of Lagos Waters and Singapore

Abstract

Offshore marine fuel supply chains represent a critical operational intersection between maritime logistics, commercial energy trading and national regulatory enforcement. However, vulnerability to quantity discrepancies, operational opacity and jurisdictional fragmentation continues to undermine supply chain integrity across emerging maritime hubs. This expanded study presents a Comparative Institutional Analysis (CIA) evaluating the governance and technological frameworks of two contrasting bunkering jurisdictions: the mature, highly standardized hub of Singapore and the emerging, complex offshore anchorage environment of Lagos Waters, Nigeria. By evaluating regulatory architecture, quantity verification mechanisms and digital tracking capabilities, this paper illustrates how Singapore’s unified regulatory mandate under the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) and mandatory ISO 22192 Mass Flow Meter (MFM) standard systematically mitigate supply chain friction. Conversely, Lagos Waters exhibits structural vulnerabilities driven by multi-agency regulatory overlap (NIMASA, NUPRC, NPA) and reliance on manual volumetric measurements. The study proposes a strategic framework for West African bunkering hubs focused on regulatory harmonization, digital bunker delivery notes (e-BDN) and phased MFM adoption to build regional maritime supply chain resilience.