Harboursandport.com: Lagos, Nigeria - August 18, 2026: Following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency, NPERA Act, 2026.
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| Chairman of the Governing Board of NPERA, Ibrahim Shema, and the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, Pius Akutah. |
The Chairman of the Governing Board of NPERA, Ibrahim Shema, and the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, Pius Akutah, have highlighted the economic significance of the newly established port regulator.
Speaking in Lagos at an event marking the presidential assent, Shema said the new agency would provide a permanent statutory framework for economic regulation of Nigeria’s ports, with the aim of promoting transparency, fair competition, efficiency and investment.
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| Group photography of management staff of NPERA at the event. |
He said NPERA would regulate tariffs and charges, licensing and regulatory standards, service quality, fair competition, commercial dispute resolution, trade facilitation and protection of port users.
Shema stressed that the agency was not established to compete with existing maritime institutions, but to ensure that each agency operates within a clear statutory mandate.
“This is not about creating competing authorities. It is about establishing a coherent system in which institutions work together, each within its statutory responsibilities, in the broader national interest,” he said.
According to him, NPERA’s regulatory philosophy would be anchored on transparency, fairness, predictability, efficiency and accountability, with a strong focus on reducing the cost of doing business through Nigerian ports.
He stressed that the new framework would provide greater regulatory certainty for shipping lines, terminal operators, freight forwarders, importers, exporters and investors, while improving dispute resolution and port-user protection.
In his remarks, Akutah said the establishment of NPERA was another major step towards positioning Nigeria as a maritime nation and a logistics hub for West and Central Africa.
He said the new law would enhance fair play and predictability in the maritime sector, giving investors greater confidence to commit resources to the industry.
The Shippers Council boss linked the reform to Nigeria’s broader ambition of achieving a $1 trillion economy by 2030, stressing that the maritime sector must be positioned to maximise its economic potential.
“This is one of the many factors that are contributing to making Nigeria a maritime nation,” Akutah said, adding that the creation of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and Nigeria’s return to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council were also indications of the Federal Government’s commitment to the sector.
He, however, acknowledged that the implementation of the new law would require close coordination among NPERA, the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS and other relevant agencies.
Akutah said some functions currently performed by the agency would be transferred to the appropriate institutions under the new arrangement, noting that the agencies would need to work together to clearly delineate their respective responsibilities.
“The real work, the main work, is starting now. It’s not all about the law itself, but it’s about how we navigate the law in terms of our relationship with other critical stakeholders,” he said.
He maintained that regulatory overlaps should not translate into institutional rivalry, stressing that the various agencies were established to complement one another in advancing Nigeria’s economic interests.
Both officials expressed confidence that the new regulatory framework would improve port efficiency, attract investment, strengthen trade facilitation and enhance the contribution of the maritime sector to Nigeria’s economic development.
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