[REVISION HISTORY]

Nigeria seaport economic regulation reform

Updated 6 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-16 10:55 UTC → 2026-10-17 06:25 UTC · added ~~removed~~

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Act, 2026, establishing a permanent statutory foundation for economic regulation within Nigeria’s seaports. The legislation aims to manage tariffs, competition, service standards, and commercial disputes, transitioning these responsibilities from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), which had served as the interim regulator since 2014. Following the enactment, NPERA has formally commenced operations. Dr. Ibrahim Shema, Chairman of the NPERA Governing Board, stated that the transition from the NSC will be orderly, addressing assets, personnel, and existing contracts. The agency clarified that it will not compete with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), which retains responsibility for port infrastructure and landlord functions. The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has welcomed the establishment of NPERA, describing it as a “milestone for maritime reform.” To refine the separation of duties, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola ordered the transfer of inland dry port (IDP) functions from the NSC to the NPA. NPERA and the NPA have since entered technical discussions to delineate responsibilities and prevent the duplication of functions. To coordinate this transition, a proposal has been made to establish a joint committee involving NPERA, the NPA, and the National Inland Waterways Authority. ~~NPERA Director-General Dr. Pius Akutah~~ Minister Oyetola has ~~also sought enhanced collaboration with~~ since unveiled the ~~Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to improve data privacy~~ gazetted NPERA Act, 2026, and ~~security within~~ ordered a ministerial committee to oversee the movement of the NSC into the new regulatory ~~sector. Additionally, NPERA leadership has~~ body. The Minister emphasized that the ~~need for digital trade facilitation, faster cargo clearance,~~ agency must operate with “independence and ~~transparent charges to improve port efficiency. This follows data from the NPA showing cargo throughput rose from 71.21 million metric tonnes in 2023~~ impartiality to ~~103.34 million metric tonnes in 2024.~~ maintain credibility.”

Versions

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.