By Frontline Reporters

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council has officially transmuted into the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) and commenced operations as Nigeria’s statutory economic regulator for the nation’s ports.

The development follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Bill, 2026, establishing NPERA as the dedicated authority responsible for the economic regulation of Nigeria’s port industry.

The new agency is expected to reshape the country’s port governance architecture by promoting fair and transparent tariffs, faster cargo clearance, stronger competition, improved trade facilitation and a more predictable business environment for investors and port users.

Chairman of the NPERA Governing Board, Dr. Ibrahim Shema, described the emergence of the agency as a “fundamental reform” in Nigeria’s port administration, noting that it represents the culmination of nearly five decades of institutional evolution in port economic regulation.

Shema traced the roots of port economic regulation in Nigeria to the establishment of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in 1978 and the subsequent concessioning of port terminals in 2006.

He recalled that the Shippers’ Council was designated as the interim Port Economic Regulator in 2014, during which it performed critical functions including tariff regulation, dispute resolution and protection of port users.

With the enactment of the NPERA Act, he said, those responsibilities now have a permanent statutory foundation.

Under the new framework, NPERA will regulate port tariffs and charges, licensing, service standards, fair competition, commercial disputes, trade facilitation and the protection of port users.

“This is not about creating competing authorities. It is about establishing a coherent system in which institutions work together, each within its statutory responsibilities,” Shema said.

He stressed that the creation of NPERA would not undermine or duplicate the responsibilities of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), which retains its mandate over port infrastructure and landlord functions.

Rather, he said, NPERA would concentrate on economic regulation, with the ultimate objective of reducing uncertainty, eliminating unnecessary regulatory barriers, accelerating cargo movement and strengthening Nigeria’s position as a competitive trading and investment destination.

Shema identified transparency, fairness, predictability, efficiency and accountability as the five fundamental principles that would underpin the agency’s regulatory philosophy.

On tariffs, the NPERA chairman said the new framework would give port users greater clarity on the basis for regulated charges, while service providers would have clearer expectations regarding regulatory compliance.

He also promised more accessible mechanisms for resolving commercial disputes and increased deployment of digital platforms for licensing, tariff administration, regulatory monitoring, compliance and stakeholder engagement.

Orderly Transition Assured

Shema assured stakeholders that the transition from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to NPERA would be orderly and designed to minimise disruption to port operations.

He said the process would address issues relating to personnel, assets, liabilities, existing contracts, pending disputes, regulatory records and licensing arrangements.

The chairman also called for sustained cooperation among the NPA, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), terminal operators, shipping lines, freight forwarders, importers, exporters and other stakeholders.

“The establishment of NPERA is a historic achievement, but the harder work begins now,” he said.

According to him, the real test would be the agency’s ability to translate the provisions of the new law into improved port services, greater efficiency, reduced regulatory uncertainty and stronger national competitiveness.

“The new era of port economic regulation has begun. The journey has been long. The opportunity before us is enormous. And the work starts now,” Shema added.

Akutah: NPERA to Drive Fair Pricing, Competition

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of NPERA, Dr. Pius Akutah, expressed optimism that the new agency would significantly clarify Nigeria’s port regulatory environment within the next one to two years.

Akutah said NPERA would prioritise fair pricing, promote healthy competition, improve trade facilitation and strengthen government revenue.

He added that the NPERA Act had provided the agency with stronger powers to enhance commercial dispute resolution and protect the interests and welfare of port users and other stakeholders.

The commencement of NPERA marks a significant transition in Nigeria’s port governance, with economic regulation now vested in a dedicated statutory institution distinct from the infrastructure and landlord responsibilities of the NPA.

For port users and operators, the new regulatory framework is expected to bring greater clarity to tariffs, charges, licensing, service standards and commercial disputes while creating a more stable and predictable operating environment.

However, the ultimate success of NPERA will depend not merely on the powers granted to it by law but on how effectively those powers are deployed to deliver measurable improvements in port efficiency, cargo clearance, investment confidence and Nigeria’s overall trade competitiveness.

With the transformation now complete, the spotlight shifts to NPERA to prove that a dedicated economic regulator can deliver a more efficient, transparent and competitive Nigerian port system

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