The Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) on Tuesday formally commenced operations as the statutory economic regulator of Nigeria’s ports, with a mandate to promote fair tariffs, faster cargo clearance, greater competition and a more predictable business environment.
The commencement followed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Bill, 2026, which established NPERA as the dedicated authority responsible for the economic regulation of the nation’s ports.
Chairman of the NPERA Governing Board, Dr Ibrahim Shema, while speaking during a media briefing on Tuesday, described the development as a “fundamental reform” of Nigeria’s port governance, saying the establishment of the agency was the culmination of nearly five decades of institutional evolution in port economic regulation.
Shema traced the history of port economic regulation in Nigeria to the establishment of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in 1978 and the concessioning of port terminals in 2006.
According to him, the Shippers’ Council was subsequently designated as the interim Port Economic Regulator in 2014, during which it performed key functions, including tariff regulation, dispute resolution and protection of port users.
With the enactment of the NPERA Act, Shema said those responsibilities now had a permanent statutory framework.
He said the agency would regulate port tariffs and charges, licensing, service standards, fair competition, commercial disputes, trade facilitation and the protection of port users.
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“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 NPERA’s emergence would not create rivalry with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), which retains responsibility for port infrastructure and its landlord functions.
According to him, the new regulator would focus on reducing uncertainty and unnecessary regulatory barriers, while promoting faster cargo movement and strengthening Nigeria’s competitiveness as a trading and investment destination.
Shema identified transparency, fairness, predictability, efficiency and accountability as the five core principles that would guide NPERA’s regulatory philosophy.
On tariffs, he said the new framework would provide port users with greater clarity on the basis for regulated charges, while service providers would have clearer expectations regarding compliance and regulatory requirements.
He also pledged more accessible mechanisms for resolving commercial disputes, alongside increased deployment of digital platforms for licensing, tariff administration, regulatory monitoring, compliance and stakeholder engagement.
Shema assured stakeholders that the transition from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to NPERA would be orderly and minimally disruptive.
He said the transition would take into consideration personnel, assets, liabilities, existing contracts, pending disputes, regulatory records and licensing arrangements.
The NPERA chairman also called for sustained collaboration 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,” Shema said.
He stressed that the agency must translate the provisions of the new law into improved 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,” he added.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of NPERA, Dr Pius Akutah, expressed optimism that the new law and agency would significantly clarify the regulatory environment governing Nigeria’s ports within the next one to two years.
Akutah said NPERA would prioritise fair pricing, promote competition, improve trade facilitation and strengthen government revenue.
He added that 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.
The commencement of NPERA marks a major shift in Nigeria’s port governance architecture, with economic regulation now placed under a dedicated statutory institution separate from the infrastructure and landlord functions of the NPA.
For port users and operators, the new framework is expected to provide greater clarity around tariffs, charges, licensing, service standards and commercial disputes, while creating a more predictable operating environment.
The success of the agency, however, will depend on how effectively it converts its statutory powers into measurable improvements in port efficiency, cargo clearance, investment confidence and Nigeria’s overall trade competitiveness.
