President signs ports regulatory bill into law
President Tinubu has assented to the NPERA Bill, giving the Nigerian Shippers’ Council full legal backing as a statutory port regulator with enforcement powers.
President Bola Tinubu has assented to the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Bill, 2026, granting the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) full legal backing. The development was announced by the NSC Executive Secretary, Dr Pius Akutah, on his verified Facebook page on Thursday. “Thank you Mr President for making the Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026 a reality,” Akutah stated.
A maritime expert, Dr Eugene Nweke, said the Act paved the way for a statutory regulator with powers to sanction erring port operators. He said that the NPERA Bill had been in the works for years following the concession of Nigeria’s ports in 2006. Nweke said that the Federal Government designated NSC as an interim economic regulator in 2014, pending enactment of substantive legislation. “Without an Act, the council performed regulatory functions based on policy and a 2015 government gazette. The new law empowers the regulator to oversee tariffs, rates, charges, competition and licensing of service providers. It also provides legal backing for resolving commercial disputes in the port sector,” he said.
Earlier versions faced concerns over duplication with Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency’s (NIMASA) functions. A clearing agent, Hajia Bola Muse, and some stakeholders demanded clearer delineation to avoid regulatory conflicts and overlapping mandates. Both chambers passed the Bill late 2025, but Tinubu returned it over conflicts with the Tax Administration Act, 2025. The National Assembly corrected the issues and passed a harmonised version in April 2026.
The signing of the NPERA Bill is a landmark moment for Nigeria’s maritime sector. For nearly two decades, the ports have operated without a statutory economic regulator, leaving tariff enforcement, competition oversight and dispute resolution in a regulatory void. The new Act creates a “sheriff in town” with the power to enforce compliance, but its success will depend on whether it can navigate the overlapping mandates of NPA and NIMASA.
This echoes the 2006 port concession, which also promised regulatory reform but left the NSC without legal teeth. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a regulatory gap that persisted for years.
The winners: Nigerian port users and stakeholders, who now have a statutory regulator with enforcement powers; and the NSC, which gains legal legitimacy. The losers: port operators who may face stricter oversight; and the Nigerian government, which must ensure the new regulatory framework does not create new conflicts.
Bottom Line: The ports now have a statutory regulator. The question is whether the new sheriff will enforce the law or become another toothless agency.