By Seun Ibiyemi
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has directed the transfer of the inland dry port (IDP) functions currently handled by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
The directive is part of efforts by the Federal Government to establish a clearer separation between port economic regulation, infrastructure development and operational responsibilities.
Oyetola also ordered the immediate constitution of a ministerial committee to oversee the transition of the NSC 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 in Abuja by his Special Adviser, Bolaji Akinola.
According to the statement, the measures are designed to create a clear institutional framework for Nigeria’s new port economic regulatory regime, eliminate overlapping responsibilities and ensure that agencies under the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy operate within clearly defined mandates.
The NPERA Act, signed by President Tinubu in August, formally establishes a substantive economic regulator for Nigeria’s port sector, ending a two-decade wait for a dedicated statutory port economic regulator.
With the enactment of the legislation, the NSC, which has operated as the country’s interim port economic regulator since 2014, will transition into NPERA.
Under the new framework, NPERA is expected to concentrate on economic regulatory functions, including tariff and charge regulation, 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 responsibilities.
“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,” he said.
He added that the ministerial committee would provide the necessary oversight to ensure a seamless transition and ensure that every function is domiciled in the appropriate institution.
The minister stressed that the credibility and effectiveness of an economic regulator depend partly on its ability to operate as an impartial referee without responsibilities that could create actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
According to him, the Federal Government wants NPERA to focus fully on its statutory regulatory mandate, while operational, developmental and promotional functions 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,” Oyetola said.
“A regulator cannot function as an operator and, at the same time, be expected to be perceived as an unbiased referee.”
He said the clearer separation of responsibilities 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.
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Oyetola assured stakeholders that the transfer of IDP functions from the NSC to the NPA should not be interpreted as a reduction in the Federal Government’s commitment to developing inland dry ports across the country.
Rather, he said the move was intended to strengthen the IDP programme by placing its promotion within an institution better positioned to integrate the facilities into the country’s broader 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,” he said.
The minister said the ultimate objective was to build a more efficient and integrated port system capable of serving businesses and communities across Nigeria.
