New Port Regulator Takes Off as Nigeria Targets More Efficient, Competitive Ports

LAGOS — Nigeria has entered a new phase of port economic regulation following the formal commencement of operations by the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA).

The new agency is expected to reshape the regulatory environment at the nation’s ports by improving transparency, promoting competition, reducing uncertainty and making port operations more predictable and efficient.

NPERA’s take-off follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Bill, 2026, which provides the legal framework for the agency to serve as the statutory economic regulator of Nigeria’s ports.

The Chairman of the NPERA Governing Board, Dr. Ibrahim Shema, said the new institution was the result of decades of development in Nigeria’s port regulatory framework.

He traced the process to the establishment of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in 1978 and the concessioning of port terminals in 2006. In 2014, the Shippers’ Council was designated as the interim Port Economic Regulator, with responsibilities including tariff regulation, dispute resolution and protection of port users.

Shema described the NPERA Act as a major reform of port governance and the culmination of almost 50 years of institutional evolution in port economic regulation.

He also sought to clarify the relationship between NPERA and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), saying the new regulator would not compete with the authority, which retains responsibility for port infrastructure and landlord functions.

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

Shema said NPERA would seek to eliminate unnecessary regulatory obstacles and reduce uncertainty for businesses, while supporting faster cargo clearance and movement.

He said the agency’s regulatory philosophy would be built around five principles: transparency, fairness, predictability, efficiency and accountability.

Agency targets fair pricing, stronger trade environment

On port tariffs and charges, Shema said the new system would enable port users to understand how regulated charges are determined, while service providers would have clearer guidance on their compliance obligations.

The Executive Secretary/CEO of NPERA, Dr. Pius Akutah, said the agency was optimistic that the new law would bring significant clarity to the regulatory environment within one to two years.

According to Akutah, NPERA’s priorities include ensuring fair pricing, promoting competition, improving trade facilitation and strengthening government revenue.

He said the NPERA Act also provides the agency with enhanced powers to resolve commercial disputes and safeguard the welfare and interests of port users and other stakeholders.

The new framework is expected to provide port operators, importers, exporters and other users with greater certainty around tariffs, charges, licensing requirements, service standards and the resolution of commercial disputes.

The agency’s establishment marks a significant change in the structure of port economic regulation, with the broader objective of creating a more predictable operating environment and strengthening Nigeria’s competitiveness as a regional trade and investment destination.

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