NPERA Takes Off, Promises New Era of Port Regulation
Nigeria’s port sector has entered a new regulatory era following the formal transition of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) into the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA), a development expected to reshape the governance and economic oversight of the nation’s ports.
The transition follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026, which establishes NPERA as the statutory authority responsible for the economic regulation of ports and related services across the country.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, Chairman of the NPERA Governing Board, Dr. Ibrahim Shema, described the development as a landmark institutional reform designed to create a more transparent, predictable and competitive port environment.
According to him, the agency will oversee the economic regulation of port services and related activities, including tariff administration, licensing, service standards, fair competition, commercial dispute resolution, trade facilitation and the protection of port users.
Shema explained that the new regulatory framework is expected to provide greater certainty for shipping lines and terminal operators, while offering importers, exporters, freight forwarders and clearing agents more predictable procedures, fairer charges and improved mechanisms for resolving disputes.
He emphasized that NPERA is not intended to compete with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), noting that the NPA will continue to manage port infrastructure and perform its landlord responsibilities, while NPERA will focus on independent economic oversight within its statutory mandate.
The separation of economic regulation from port operations aligns with international best practices adopted in several maritime jurisdictions.
The Board Chairman said the agency’s operations would be guided by five core principles—transparency, fairness, predictability, efficiency and accountability.
He added that technology and data-driven systems would play a central role in strengthening licensing processes, tariff administration, compliance monitoring, reporting and stakeholder engagement.
Shema further disclosed that NPERA would work closely with key maritime institutions, including the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigeria Customs Service and other industry stakeholders to achieve its objectives.
He identified the agency’s immediate priority as ensuring a seamless transition from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to NPERA while maintaining continuity in essential regulatory functions and preserving institutional knowledge built over the years.
“The success of this agency will ultimately be measured by the value it delivers to port users and the broader economy,” he said, adding that effective implementation of the Act should lead to improved services, greater efficiency, reduced uncertainty, fair competition and stronger trade facilitation.
Also speaking at the briefing,
the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NPERA, Dr. Akutah Pius, expressed confidence that the new law would significantly clarify Nigeria’s port regulatory framework within the next one to two years.
He said the Act provides the agency with stronger legal backing to enhance commercial dispute resolution, enforce regulatory standards and safeguard the interests of port users and stakeholders.
According to Akutah, the new regulatory framework will help deliver a more efficient, transparent and competitive port system capable of supporting Nigeria’s trade and economic growth ambitions.
The transition marks the culmination of years of legislative and policy efforts aimed at establishing a permanent statutory economic regulator for Nigeria’s ports. The reform replaces the interim regulatory arrangement under which the Nigerian Shippers’ Council had functioned as the nation’s port economic regulator since 2015.
With the law now in force and NPERA officially taking the helm, industry attention is expected to shift from the passage of the legislation to its effective implementation and its impact on port efficiency, trade competitiveness and investor confidence.
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