NPERA Act Will Boost Investor Confidence, Put Nigerian Ports on Competitive Path — MARCON

…Commends Akutah for Commitment to Making It a Reality

BY FUNMI ALUKO

The Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON) has described the newly signed Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Act, 2026 as a landmark reform capable of transforming Nigeria’s maritime sector, boosting investor confidence and placing the nation’s ports on a more transparent, productive and competitive footing.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Saturday and signed by its General Secretary, Olamide Osho, MARCON said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the long-awaited legislation marked a decisive end to years of regulatory uncertainty in the port sector.

According to the organisation, the NPERA Act provides, for the first time, a dedicated statutory framework for the economic regulation of Nigerian ports, giving legal backing to functions that had been performed on an interim basis by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) since the commencement of the port concession regime.

“This is a landmark development for Nigeria’s maritime industry,” MARCON stated, noting that the new law would strengthen oversight of tariffs, rates, charges, competition and service standards.

The organisation said the Act would also empower the economic regulator to protect shippers, promote fair commercial practices and provide more effective mechanisms for resolving disputes.

It argued that these provisions were fundamental to creating a predictable business environment capable of attracting long-term investment, lowering the cost of doing business and improving port productivity.

Of particular significance to MARCON was the institutional clarity created by the legislation. Under the new framework, NPERA will focus primarily on economic regulation, including tariffs, charges, competition, licensing of port service providers and commercial dispute resolution, while the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) retains its role as the landlord and technical/operational authority.

MARCON noted that the distinction should help eliminate regulatory overlaps and provide greater certainty for investors, terminal operators, service providers, shippers and other port users.

The association, however, singled out the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Pius Akutah, for commendation over his role in driving the reform to fruition.

It acknowledged Akutah’s sustained advocacy, stakeholder engagement and determination throughout the complex legislative journey, which involved revisions, re-passage by the National Assembly and eventual Presidential assent.

“Dr. Akutah’s dedication to institutional reform and his unwavering focus on strengthening the regulatory framework for Nigerian ports deserve recognition,” MARCON said.

“His efforts have helped bring to fruition a reform that stakeholders across the industry have long demanded.”

The organisation recalled that following the 2006 port concessions, the NSC had operated in an interim economic regulatory capacity from 2014, relying substantially on government policy and a 2015 gazette in the absence of a comprehensive enabling law.

With the enactment of NPERA, MARCON said, that era of regulatory uncertainty should give way to a stronger and more enforceable institutional framework.

The association identified improved control of tariffs, rates and charges; fair competition; licensing and standards for service providers; effective commercial dispute resolution; greater transparency and predictability; improved efficiency; lower logistics costs and stronger protection for port users among the expected benefits of the new regime.

It further expressed optimism that the Act would strengthen the economic interests of shippers and cargo owners while helping to reposition Nigeria as a credible regional maritime and logistics hub.

MARCON therefore urged relevant government agencies, port stakeholders and industry operators to support the smooth transition and timely operationalisation of the new regulatory regime.

It said effective implementation would be critical to converting the promise of the legislation into measurable improvements in port efficiency, investor confidence and service delivery.

The organisation also linked the reform to the Federal Government’s broader blue economy agenda, stressing that a competitive and efficiently regulated port system remained indispensable to unlocking the economic potential of Nigeria’s maritime sector.

Overall, MARCON believes that the passage of NPERA is therefore not merely another regulatory milestone, but a potentially defining step towards giving Nigeria’s ports the stable economic regulatory architecture required to compete more effectively for regional and international maritime business.