By Joshua Yousouph
As the tenure of the current National Assembly gradually winds down, stakeholders in Nigeria’s maritime sector have intensified calls for the much-expected presidential assent to the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Authority (NPERA) Bill, warning that further delays could jeopardize years of efforts aimed at reforming the nation’s port regulatory framework.
Their concern stems from fears that if the bill is not signed into law before the expiration of the 10th National Assembly, the legislative process may have to begin afresh under a new legislature in 2027, potentially prolonging what industry players describe as a critical regulatory gap in the port sector.
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 officially repeal the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) Act of 1978 and transform the NSC into the independent NPERA.
The NPERA Bill has since been transmitted to the Presidency for the statutory assent of President Bola Tinubu.
However, industry observers believe that the fate of the Bill will significantly influence the future structure of economic regulation in Nigeria’s ports, with many describing its enactment as a critical component of the country’s ongoing holistic maritime sector reforms and aspirations to become a leading maritime and logistics hub in Africa.
On the prospects of the bill receiving presidential assent, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Pius Akutah expressed optimism that the process would be completed before the current legislative cycle ends.
Akutah confirmed that the bill is before President Bola Tinubu for consideration and expressed confidence that the necessary steps would be taken to ensure its success.
“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.
Weighing in on the issue during a chat with our correspondent last week, the Sea Empowerment and Research Center (SEREC) described the delay in securing presidential assent as a major policy concern with implications for Nigeria’s maritime competitiveness, trade facilitation and investment climate.
Head of Research at SEREC, Eugene Nweke, noted that nearly two decades after the concessioning of Nigerian seaports in 2006, the country is yet to establish a statutory and independent economic regulator dedicated solely to overseeing port tariffs, pricing mechanisms, competition regulation and dispute resolution.
According to him, the absence of such a regulator has contributed to overlapping institutional responsibilities, tariff disputes, investor uncertainty and recurring commercial disagreements across the port value chain. “The NPERA Bill was conceived to address these deficiencies and align Nigeria’s port governance framework with international best practices,” Nweke said.
SEREC warned that failure to conclude the legislative process before the end of the current Assembly could result in the bill lapsing, thereby forcing stakeholders to restart the legislative process in a subsequent Assembly.
“It would also slow down the implementation of modern port governance reforms required to enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness within the African Continental Free Trade Area and the wider global maritime industry,” Nweke added.
On his part, President of the Shippers Association of Lagos State (SALS), Rev. Nicodemus Odolo expressed support for the establishment of an independent ports economic regulator.
“Nigerian ports actually require a regulatory authority and shippers are in support of the bill. However, there is an error that needs to be corrected. The Act establishing the Nigerian Shippers’ Council is being repealed to enact the NPERA law, and the consequence is that shipper protection may be taken away,” he noted.
He argued that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council serves as the primary institution protecting the interests of cargo owners and private sector operators, warning that its removal without an alternative protection mechanism could create significant challenges for shippers.
