There are concerns that the continued delay in signing the Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Bill into law could undermine ongoing reforms in the maritime sector, especially the ports.

Stakeholders warned that this would prolong uncertainty over tariff-setting and pricing mechanisms, increase commercial disputes and litigation, sustain arbitrary charges, raise logistics costs, and delay critical port governance reforms.

Two decades after the port concession programme, Nigeria has yet to establish a statutory, independent economic regulator dedicated exclusively to overseeing port pricing, tariff administration, competition regulation, economic performance monitoring, and sector-specific dispute resolution.

The regulatory gap has continued to generate overlapping institutional responsibilities, inconsistent economic regulation, controversy over tariffs and arbitrary charges, poor services, investor uncertainty, and avoidable commercial disputes across the port value chain.

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) from November 2023 to June 2026 prevented over N86.06 billion in unjustified demurrage payments, saved shippers over N4.54 billion and $1.348 million through alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and regulatory interventions, and received 558 complaints and resolved 295 commercial disputes.

The NPERA Bill, conceived to address deficiencies and align Nigeria’s port governance framework with international best practices, has continued to face delays in the legislative process, with the current hurdle being the prolonged presidential assent process.

The National Assembly passed the revised bill in late April 2026, successfully resolving earlier conflicts identified by the Federal Ministry of Justice regarding the Nigerian Tax Administration Act.

Once signed into law, the bill will repeal the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) Act of 1978 and transform it into the NPERA.

Stakeholders believe that the fate of the bill will significantly influence Nigeria’s port competitiveness, credibility and predictability of the regulatory framework, close long-standing institutional gaps, ensure fairness, reduce costs, avoid arbitrary charges, reinforce investor confidence, enhance port efficiency and safeguard the economic interests of all port users.

Executive Secretary of the NSC, Dr Pius Akuta, expressed confidence that the necessary steps would be taken to ensure its success before the current legislative cycle ends.

“The bill is currently before the President and remains within the constitutional time frame for assent. We are hopeful that the President will eventually assent to it. If the Assembly winds down before that happens, there could be challenges as the process may relapse, but we are optimistic that such a situation will be avoided,” he said.

Head of Research, Sea Empowerment and Research Centre (SEREC), Eugene Nweke, charged the President to accord urgent consideration to the bill in recognition of its strategic importance to Nigeria’s economy and maritime sector.

He said the cost of delaying this reform is far greater than the administrative effort required to complete the legislative process, noting that Nigeria’s aspiration to become Africa’s preferred maritime and logistics hub cannot be achieved without a modern, transparent, independent and professionally managed economic regulatory framework.

Nweke explained that the bill would provide a transparent and predictable framework for regulating port tariffs and charges, ensuring that pricing decisions are guided by established economic principles rather than administrative discretion.

He said the authority would also promote fair competition among terminal operators and service providers, discourage anti-competitive practices, strengthen investor confidence and provide a credible mechanism for resolving commercial disputes before they escalate into prolonged litigation.

Beyond economic regulation, Nweke said the Bill is expected to support Nigeria’s broader aspirations under the National Blue Economy strategy and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by creating a more efficient, transparent and globally competitive port environment.

“At a time when neighbouring maritime nations are strengthening regulatory institutions to attract cargo traffic and investment, Nigeria must avoid policy inertia that could undermine its strategic position as the maritime gateway to West and Central Africa,” he stated.

President of the Shippers Association of Lagos State (SALS), Nicodemus Odolo, said Nigerian ports critically require a regulatory authority to protect shippers and other port users.

He argued that the Council serves as the primary institution protecting the interests of cargo owners and private-sector operators, warning that removing the Bill without an alternative protection mechanism could pose significant challenges for shippers.