By Godwin Oritse
President Bola Tinubu has assented to the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Bill, 2026, paving the way for the establishment of a dedicated economic regulator for 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 post on his Facebook page, where he expressed appreciation to the President for assenting to the legislation.
“Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026. Thank you Mr. President for making it a reality,” Akutah stated in the brief post.
Although details of the assent and the implementation framework were not immediately available as of press time, the development marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s longstanding efforts to establish a statutory economic regulatory framework for the port industry.
The NPERA legislation has been in the works for several years, with successive National Assemblies attempting to establish a dedicated port economic regulator following the concession of Nigeria’s ports. The Federal Government had, in 2014, designated the Nigerian Shippers’ Council as the interim economic regulator of the ports pending the enactment of a substantive law.
The absence of a dedicated Act had, however, left the Council performing its economic regulatory functions largely on the strength of government policy and regulations rather than a comprehensive statutory framework.
The proposed legislation seeks to give the port economic regulator stronger legal backing to oversee economic activities in the sector, including issues relating to tariffs, rates, charges, competition, licensing of port service providers and the resolution of commercial disputes.
Akutah had previously described the proposed NPERA regime as a transition towards a more structured and efficient port regulatory system, saying the legislation would establish a strong and independent regulatory framework with enforceable legal powers.
The journey to the new law has not been without controversy. Earlier versions of the legislation attracted concerns from stakeholders and some maritime agencies over possible duplication of functions, particularly with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). Stakeholders had called for clearer delineation of responsibilities to prevent regulatory conflicts and overlapping mandates.
The Bill was initially passed by the National Assembly and transmitted to the Presidency, but President Tinubu withheld assent after concerns were raised over aspects of the legislation. The National Assembly subsequently revisited the Bill, corrected identified issues and passed an amended version in April 2026.
The Senate’s fresh passage followed the rescission of its earlier decision on the legislation after a review identified legal and procedural issues requiring correction. The amended Bill subsequently moved through the legislative process again, with stakeholders expressing optimism that its enactment would provide greater certainty for economic regulation at the ports.
With the President’s reported assent, the long-awaited transition from the existing interim regulatory arrangement to a statutory port economic regulatory regime now moves closer to implementation.
The development is expected to be closely watched by terminal operators, shipping companies, freight forwarders, importers, exporters and other port stakeholders, particularly over how the new agency will handle tariffs, charges, competition and disputes within the Nigerian port system.
Akutah had also said that the emergence of NPERA would ultimately create a more solid regulatory foundation for the port sector, with the expectation that the new regime would contribute to a more efficient, competitive and investment-friendly maritime industry.
The immediate next steps are expected to include clarification of the commencement date, transition arrangements from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to NPERA, the agency’s governing structure and the specific regulatory powers and functions that will become operational under the new Act.
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