The Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) has commenced operations as Nigeria’s dedicated statutory economic regulator for the nation’s ports, with a mandate to promote fair tariffs, faster cargo clearance, competition and a more predictable business environment.
The development follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Bill, 2026, establishing NPERA as the institution responsible for the economic regulation of Nigeria’s ports.
Chairman of the NPERA Governing Board, Dr Ibrahim Shema, described the establishment of the agency as a “fundamental reform” in Nigeria’s port governance, saying it marked the culmination of decades of institutional development in port economic regulation.
Shema traced the evolution of port economic regulation to the establishment of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in 1978 and the concessioning of port terminals in 2006.
He said the Nigerian Shippers’ Council was subsequently designated as the interim Port Economic Regulator in 2014, performing functions including tariff regulation, dispute resolution and protection of port users.
With the enactment of the NPERA law, he said those responsibilities now have a permanent statutory framework.
The new agency will regulate port tariffs and charges, licensing, service standards, 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 NPERA’s establishment would not create rivalry with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), which retains responsibility for port infrastructure and its landlord functions.
According to him, NPERA will focus on reducing regulatory uncertainty and unnecessary barriers while promoting faster cargo movement and improving Nigeria’s competitiveness as a trading and investment destination.
Shema identified transparency, fairness, predictability, efficiency and accountability as the five principles that would guide the agency’s regulatory approach.
On port tariffs, he said the new framework would give port users greater clarity on the basis for regulated charges while providing service providers with clearer expectations regarding compliance and regulatory requirements.
The chairman also pledged more accessible mechanisms for resolving commercial disputes and increased use of digital platforms for licensing, tariff administration, regulatory monitoring, compliance and stakeholder engagement.
He assured stakeholders that the transition from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to NPERA would be orderly and designed to minimise disruption to port operations.
The transition, he said, would cover personnel, assets, liabilities, existing contracts, pending disputes, regulatory records and licensing arrangements.
Shema called for continued collaboration among the Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria Customs Service, 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.
He said the agency’s success would ultimately be measured by its ability to 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,” Shema added.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NPERA, Dr Pius Akutah, expressed optimism that the new law would bring greater clarity to Nigeria’s port regulatory environment 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 agency had been given stronger powers to improve commercial dispute resolution and protect the interests and welfare of port users and other stakeholders.
The emergence of NPERA represents a significant change in Nigeria’s port governance structure, with economic regulation placed under a dedicated statutory institution while the NPA retains its infrastructure and landlord responsibilities.
For importers, exporters, shipping companies, terminal operators and other port users, the new framework is expected to provide greater clarity around tariffs, charges, licensing, service standards and commercial disputes.
The effectiveness of the reform, however, will ultimately depend on how NPERA exercises its new statutory powers and whether the agency can translate its regulatory mandate into measurable improvements in cargo clearance, port efficiency, investment confidence and Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.
