President Bola Tinubu has approved the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Bill 2026, clearing the way for the creation of a dedicated body to oversee economic activities across Nigeria’s port sector.
The development was disclosed by the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr Pius Akutah, in a social media post on Wednesday.
The proposed agency is expected to provide a clear legal framework for economic regulation across the nation’s ports, giving the sector a permanent regulator with clearly defined powers and responsibilities.
The move follows years of sustained efforts by the Federal Government and the National Assembly to establish a statutory economic regulator for Nigeria’s port industry.
Following the concession of the country’s ports, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council was designated in 2014 as the interim economic regulator. However, its regulatory authority was largely derived from government policies and existing regulations, as there was no dedicated law granting it comprehensive statutory powers.
New Regulatory Framework
With the approval of the NPERA Bill, the new regulatory framework is expected to strengthen oversight of key economic activities within the port system.
Areas expected to fall under the agency’s mandate include the regulation of port tariffs, charges and rates, the promotion of fair competition, licensing of service providers, and resolution of commercial disputes.
The agency is also expected to provide stronger legal oversight of terminal operators, shipping companies, freight forwarders and other businesses involved in Nigeria’s maritime and port operations.
The establishment of NPERA is therefore expected to bring greater clarity, accountability and stability to economic regulation in the country’s port sector.
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