By Godwin Oritse
The Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) has formally commenced operations, ushering in a new era of economic regulation designed to make Nigeria’s ports more transparent, competitive, predictable and efficient.
The agency’s commencement follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Bill, 2026, which established NPERA as the statutory authority responsible for the economic regulation of the nation’s ports.
Ibrahim 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 noted that the Shippers’ Council was subsequently designated as the interim Port Economic Regulator in 2014.
Under that arrangement, the Council undertook key economic regulatory functions, including tariff regulation, dispute resolution and protection of port users.
Chairman of the NPERA Governing Board, Dr. Ibrahim Shema, CON, FNIM, described the legislation as a “fundamental reform” of Nigeria’s port governance, saying the new agency represents the culmination of nearly five decades of institutional evolution in port economic regulation.
With the enactment of the NPERA Act, these responsibilities now have a permanent statutory framework, with the agency mandated to regulate port tariffs and charges, licensing, service standards, fair competition, commercial disputes, trade facilitation and port-user protection.
Shema said NPERA’s emergence would not result in institutional rivalry with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), which retains responsibility for port infrastructure and its 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.
According to him, NPERA will focus on reducing uncertainty and unnecessary regulatory barriers, while promoting faster cargo movement and strengthening Nigeria’s competitiveness as a trading and investment destination.
He identified transparency, fairness, predictability, efficiency and accountability as the five core principles that will underpin the agency’s regulatory philosophy.
On port tariffs, Shema said the new regulatory framework would enable port users to better understand the basis for regulated charges, while service providers would have clearer expectations regarding compliance and regulatory requirements.
He also pledged more accessible dispute-resolution mechanisms and increased deployment of digital platforms for licensing, tariff administration, regulatory monitoring, compliance and stakeholder engagement.
The chairman assured stakeholders that the transition from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to NPERA would be orderly and minimally disruptive, with appropriate attention to personnel, assets, liabilities, existing contracts, pending disputes, regulatory records and licensing arrangements.
He 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 government and private-sector stakeholders.
The establishment of NPERA is a historic achievement, but the harder work begins now,” Shema said, stressing that the agency must translate the provisions of the new law into improved services, greater efficiency, lower 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/CEO of NPERA, Dr. Pius Akutah, expressed optimism that the new law and agency would, within the next one to two years, significantly clarify the regulatory environment governing Nigeria’s ports.
Akutah said the agency would work towards ensuring fair pricing, promoting competition, improving trade facilitation and strengthening government revenue.
He added that the NPERA Act provides the agency with stronger powers to improve commercial dispute resolution and protect the welfare and interests of port users and other stakeholders.
The commencement of NPERA therefore marks a significant shift in Nigeria’s port governance architecture, separating economic regulation from infrastructure and landlord functions and establishing a dedicated institution to oversee the commercial and competitive dimensions of port operations.
For port users and operators, the new framework is expected to bring greater clarity around tariffs, charges, licensing, service standards and commercial disputes, while supporting a more predictable business environment.
The success of the new agency, however, will ultimately depend on how effectively it translates its statutory mandate into measurable improvements in port efficiency, cargo clearance, investment confidence and Nigeria’s overall trade competitiveness.
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