By Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, has directed the transfer of the inland dry port (IDP) functions currently domiciled with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
The directive is part of a broader restructuring of agencies under the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy aimed at clearly separating port economic regulation from port development, operations and promotion.
Oyetola also ordered the immediate constitution of a ministerial committee to oversee the transition of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council into the newly established Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA), following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the NPERA Act, 2026.
The Minister’s directives were contained in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by his Special Adviser, Dr. Bolaji Akinola.
The restructuring follows the enactment of the NPERA Act, which formally establishes a substantive economic regulator for Nigeria’s port sector, ending a more than two-decade wait for a dedicated statutory port economic regulator.
Under the new arrangement, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, which has served as the country’s interim port economic regulator since 2014, will transition into NPERA.
The new agency is expected to concentrate on economic regulatory functions, including the regulation of port tariffs and charges, promotion of competition, licensing, service standards, commercial dispute resolution and protection of port users.
Oyetola said the transition provides an opportunity to establish a regulatory institution that is clearly separated from operational, developmental and promotional functions.
“We must get the transition right. The establishment of NPERA is a landmark reform, and the process of moving from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency must be carefully managed.
“The ministerial committee will provide the necessary oversight to ensure that the transition is seamless and that every function is domiciled in the appropriate institution,” he said.
The Minister stressed that the credibility and effectiveness of an economic regulator depended largely on its ability to operate as an impartial referee without being saddled with responsibilities that could create actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
According to him, the Federal Government’s objective is to ensure that NPERA focuses entirely on its statutory regulatory mandate, while operational, developmental and promotional responsibilities are transferred to agencies with the appropriate mandates and institutional capacity.
“The emergence of NPERA marks a new chapter in the governance of Nigeria’s port sector. It is therefore important that the new economic regulator is freed from functions that are not compatible with economic regulation.
“A regulator cannot function as an operator and, at the same time, be expected to be perceived as an unbiased referee,” Oyetola said.
He added that clearly defined responsibilities among the various agencies would strengthen confidence in the regulatory framework, improve transparency and create a more predictable operating environment for port users, investors, terminal operators, shipping companies and other stakeholders.
On the transfer of the inland dry port functions from the Shippers’ Council to the NPA, Oyetola said the decision should not be interpreted as a reduction in the Federal Government’s commitment to the development of inland dry ports across the country.
Rather, he explained that the objective was to strengthen the IDP programme by placing its promotion under an institution better positioned to integrate the facilities into the country’s wider port infrastructure and operational network.
“We are committed to strengthening the development of the Inland Dry Ports by placing their promotion within the agency with the appropriate operational and infrastructure mandate.
“The ultimate objective is to create a more efficient and integrated port system that serves the entire country,” the Minister added.
The latest restructuring is expected to redefine the responsibilities of agencies within the maritime sector and eliminate areas of overlapping functions, particularly as the Federal Government moves to establish NPERA as an independent and effective economic regulator for the nation’s ports.
