Tinubu Approves New Ports Regulator

President Bola Tinubu has approved the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Bill 2026, clearing the way for the creation of a new body to oversee economic activities in Nigeria’s port sector.

Naija News reports that the approval was made known by the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr Pius Akutah, through a social media post on Wednesday.

The new law is expected to provide a legal framework for economic regulation at the country’s ports and give the sector a dedicated agency with clearly defined powers.

The move comes after several years of efforts by the Federal Government and the National Assembly to establish a statutory economic regulator for the port industry.

Following the concession of Nigeria’s ports, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council was designated in 2014 as the interim economic regulator while efforts continued to establish a permanent legal framework.

However, the Council’s regulatory role had largely been based on government policies and existing regulations because there was no specific Act giving it full statutory authority as the economic regulator.

The new legislation is expected to cover areas such as port tariffs, charges, rates, competition, licensing of service providers and the handling of commercial disputes.

It is also expected to provide stronger legal backing for the regulation of economic activities involving terminal operators, shipping companies, freight forwarders and other businesses operating within the port system.