Nigeria’s port sector has entered a new regulatory phase as the Nigerian Shippers’ Council formally transitions into the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA).
The transition follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s (GCFR) assent to the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026. The Act establishes NPERA as the statutory authority responsible for the economic regulation of Nigeria’s ports.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, Chairman of the NPERA Governing Board, Dr Ibrahim Shema, CON, said the reform is intended to create a more transparent, predictable and competitive port environment.
He said NPERA will regulate port services and related economic activities, including tariffs and charges, licensing, service standards, fair competition, commercial dispute resolution, trade facilitation and the protection of port users. He explained that the new framework should give shipping lines and terminal operators clearer regulatory expectations while providing importers, exporters, freight forwarders and clearing agents with more predictable procedures, fairer charges and better ways to resolve disputes.
He also explained that NPERA will not compete with the Nigerian Ports Authority. The Nigerian Ports Authority will continue to manage port infrastructure and perform its landlord functions, while NPERA will provide independent economic regulation within its legal mandate.
Dr Shema said NPERA will base its regulatory work on five principles: transparency, fairness, predictability, efficiency and accountability.
He said the Agency will use technology and data to improve licensing, tariff administration, monitoring, compliance, reporting and engagement with stakeholders. NPERA will also work with key maritime institutions, including the Nigerian Ports Authority, NIMASA and the Nigeria Customs Service, alongside terminal operators, shipping lines, freight forwarders, manufacturers, investors and other industry stakeholders.
Dr. Shema said the immediate focus is to ensure a smooth transition from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to NPERA while maintaining essential regulatory functions and retaining institutional knowledge.
He said the success of the new agency will ultimately depend on how much it improves the experience of port users and supports the wider economy.
According to him, effective implementation of the Act should lead to better services, greater efficiency, less uncertainty, fair competition and improved trade facilitation.
Speaking at the event, NPERA Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Akutah Pius (MON), said the new law could bring greater clarity to Nigeria’s port regulatory system within the next one or two years.
He said the NPERA Act gives the Agency stronger powers to improve commercial dispute resolution and protect the interests and welfare of port users and other stakeholders.
He added that the new regulatory framework will support a more efficient, transparent and competitive Nigerian port system.
The transition follows years of efforts to establish a permanent statutory economic regulator for Nigeria’s ports.
With NPERA now in place, attention will shift from the passage of the law to how effectively the new framework is implemented.
source: NSC
