League of Maritime Editors Hails Tinubu’s Assent to NPERA Bill, Commends Shippers’ Council

Mrs. Remi Itie, President, The League of Maritime Editors

The League of Maritime Editors (LOME) has congratulated the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Bill, 2026, describing the development as a landmark milestone in the reform of Nigeria’s maritime sector.
The League said the President’s assent has cleared the way for the establishment of a dedicated economic regulator for the nation’s ports, a development it believes will strengthen regulatory oversight, promote transparency and accountability, and ultimately improve the efficiency and competitiveness of port operations.
In a statement signed by the League’s President, Mrs. Remi Itie, and Public Relations Officer, Mr. Francis Ugwoke, LOME commended the NSC for the perseverance and tenacity it demonstrated in pursuing the legislation over several years. The League expressed particular satisfaction that the Bill had finally overcome the bureaucratic and institutional bottlenecks that had frustrated previous attempts to secure its passage.
According to the League, the enactment of the NPERA law should not be regarded merely as an expansion of the Council’s regulatory powers, but as a strong mandate to deliver a more efficient, transparent and investor-friendly port system. It therefore urged the NSC leadership to “hit the ground running” by deploying the new legal framework to address longstanding irregularities and ensure that providers and consumers of shipping services operate within clearly defined rules.
LOME particularly drew attention to what it described as the flagrant disregard of established procedures and due process by some shipping service providers, especially in the introduction of charges and other practices that have generated concerns among stakeholders. The League maintained that the new law gives the NSC the necessary legislative backing to take decisive action where required, in the interest of both the shipping community and the wider Nigerian economy.
“This is the time to check the activities of some multinational shipping lines, terminal operators and bonded terminal operators over the ills of the past 12 years. We refer to some shipping service providers who had held the strong belief that the Council had no strong legislative powers to check them. Now that the NPERA Bill has been signed into law, the NSC should reactivate its enforcement machinery to give the Nigerian shipping community and all stakeholders the much-expected effective regulation,” the League said.
The League also commended President Tinubu for what it described as his sustained interest in the development of Nigeria’s Marine and Blue Economy. It recalled the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in 2023, describing the creation of the ministry and the signing of the NPERA Bill into law as significant steps towards repositioning the sector as a major contributor to national economic growth.
“We are happy with the President over this development, and we give a big applause to him and the Minister, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, for the passage of the NPERA Bill after several years of politicking. Its passage was stopped by the late President Muhammadu Buhari, apparently because he listened to those against the Bill. We are happy that President Tinubu acted differently,” the League stated.
LOME, however, stressed that the presidential assent should mark the beginning, rather than the end, of the reform process. It urged the management of the NSC to seize the opportunity created by the new law to strengthen enforcement, protect Nigerian shippers, curb anti-competitive practices and ensure that port users receive efficient and fairly priced services.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Pius Akutah, had last week announced the President’s assent to the legislation and expressed his appreciation to the President for making the long-awaited development a reality.
Akutah wrote: “Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026. Thank you, Mr. President, for making it a reality.”
The efforts to establish a dedicated economic regulator for Nigeria’s ports have spanned more than 12 years, making the enactment of the NPERA law a significant milestone in the country’s maritime regulatory history.