The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has directed the transfer of the Inland Dry Port (IDP) functions of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) as part of ongoing reforms to separate port regulation, development and operations. Oyetola disclosed this in a post……
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has directed the transfer of the Inland Dry Port (IDP) functions of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) as part of ongoing reforms to separate port regulation, development and operations.
Oyetola disclosed this in a post on his official X account, where he also announced 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 described the new legislation as “a landmark reform in Nigeria’s port sector,” noting that it establishes a substantive statutory economic regulator after two decades of efforts to create one.
He said the NSC, which had served as the country’s interim port economic regulator since 2014, would now transmute into NPERA.
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According to Oyetola, NPERA will focus on “its core economic regulatory responsibilities, including the regulation of tariffs and charges, promotion of competition, licensing, service standards, commercial dispute resolution and protection of port users.”
He stressed the need for a carefully managed transition, arguing that an effective regulator must be able to operate independently of functions that could create conflicts of interest.
“We must get this transition right,” Oyetola said, adding that “The credibility and effectiveness of an economic regulator depend, in part, on its ability to function as an impartial referee without responsibilities that could create actual or perceived conflicts of interest.”
The minister further stated: “A regulator cannot function as an operator and, at the same time, be expected to be perceived as an unbiased referee.”
He said the reforms were aimed at ensuring that agencies under the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy operate within clearly defined mandates while eliminating overlapping responsibilities and improving transparency.
“Our objective is to ensure that agencies under the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy operate within clearly defined mandates, eliminating overlapping responsibilities while strengthening transparency and creating a more predictable operating environment for port users, investors, terminal operators, shipping companies and other stakeholders,” he said.
On the transfer of the Inland Dry Port functions, Oyetola said the move would strengthen the facilities by placing their promotion under an institution better positioned to integrate them into Nigeria’s wider port infrastructure and operational network.
He said, “The transfer of IDP functions to the NPA will strengthen our inland dry ports by placing their promotion within an institution better positioned to integrate the facilities into our wider port infrastructure and operational network.”
The minister said the emergence of NPERA represented a new phase in the governance of Nigeria’s port sector, expressing commitment to ensuring a seamless transition.
“The emergence of NPERA marks a new chapter in the governance of Nigeria’s port sector,” he said.
“We are committed to ensuring a seamless transition and building a more efficient, integrated and competitive port system that serves the entire country,” Oyetola added.
