From Shippers’ Council to NPERA: Dr. Pius Akutah Takes the Helm of a New Era in Nigeria’s Port Regulation

Akutah Think Tank
6 hours ago
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By PiusAkutah.com Editorial Team | August 20, 2026

Nigeria’s maritime industry has entered a decisive new chapter with the formal commencement of operations by the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) and the emergence of Dr. Pius Ukeyima Akutah, MON, Ph.D., as its pioneer Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer.

This transition is much more than a change of institutional name. It represents the culmination of a long national effort to establish a strong, independent and legally empowered economic regulator for Nigeria’s ports.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026, on August 13, 2026, transformed the Nigerian Shippers’ Council from an interim port economic regulator into a permanent statutory agency with expanded responsibilities and stronger enforcement powers.

For Dr. Akutah, the development is both a historic responsibility and a validation of the institutional reform agenda he has pursued since taking leadership of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in November 2023.

Why the Establishment of NPERA Matters

Nigeria’s ports are critical gateways to the national economy. The cost, speed and predictability of port operations directly affect manufacturers, importers, exporters, transporters, consumers and investors.

Following the concessioning of port terminals in 2006, the Federal Government designated the Nigerian Shippers’ Council as the interim Port Economic Regulator in 2014. However, the Council performed this role largely through government directives and subsidiary regulations rather than a dedicated Act of Parliament.

This limitation created uncertainty over regulatory authority, enforcement powers and the relationship between the Council and other maritime institutions.

Several attempts by successive National Assemblies to establish a permanent port economic regulator failed. The legislation passed through multiple reviews and was previously returned to the National Assembly to resolve conflicts with the Nigerian Tax Administration Act 2025 and clarify areas of possible overlap with other maritime agencies.

The eventual enactment of the NPERA Act therefore ends more than a decade of institutional uncertainty and provides a clear legal foundation for the economic regulation of Nigerian ports.

Under the new framework, NPERA is responsible for:

Regulating port tariffs, rates and charges.
Licensing and supervising regulated port service providers.
Establishing and monitoring service standards.
Promoting fair competition and preventing market abuse.
Resolving commercial disputes.
Protecting importers, exporters and other port users.
Supporting faster and more transparent trade processes.
Using technology and reliable data to improve compliance.
Strengthening Nigeria’s competitiveness as a trade and investment destination.

NPERA’s mandate is distinct from that of the Nigerian Ports Authority, which retains responsibility for port infrastructure, technical operations and its landlord functions. This separation creates a clearer regulatory architecture: the NPA manages port infrastructure, while NPERA independently oversees the economic relationships between port operators, service providers and users.

Why Dr. Pius Akutah Is Prepared for the Assignment

Dr. Akutah brings to NPERA an uncommon combination of legal knowledge, regulatory experience, institutional leadership and international exposure.

Before entering maritime administration, he served as a federal prosecutor and Head of the Central Authority Unit in the International Cooperation Department of the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

His work covered Mutual Legal Assistance, extradition proceedings, treaty negotiations, international criminal cooperation and the prosecution of complex cross-border offences. He also contributed to the development of Nigeria’s legal and policy frameworks for combating transnational organised crime.

This background is highly relevant to NPERA’s mandate. Effective economic regulation requires more than administrative supervision. It requires a firm understanding of law, enforcement, institutional boundaries, commercial disputes, international cooperation and the protection of public interest.

Since assuming leadership of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Akutah has demonstrated a preference for measurable results, stakeholder engagement and institution-building.

Between the fourth quarter of 2023 and the second quarter of 2026, the Council reported protecting more than ₦90.60 billion and US$1.348 million in economic value for Nigerian shippers and the national economy.

This included:

Preventing approximately ₦86.06 billion in unjustified demurrage payments.
Securing savings of more than ₦4.54 billion and US$1.348 million through Alternative Dispute Resolution and other regulatory interventions.
Receiving 558 complaints and resolving 295 commercial disputes.
Reducing bonded-terminal invoice charge categories from 18 to six.
Abolishing unauthorised surcharges imposed by some shipping lines.
Directing terminal operators to display approved tariffs publicly.
Strengthening minimum service standards for terminal operators and shipping companies.
Supporting the National Single Window and International Cargo Tracking Note initiatives.
Securing a statutory funding framework for port economic regulation.
Introducing digital systems for registration, content management and regulatory administration.

The Council also facilitated a new ₦200,000 minimum wage for junior maritime workers, concluding negotiations that had reportedly remained unresolved for almost two decades.

These achievements offer an important indication of what NPERA can accomplish when stronger statutory authority is combined with disciplined implementation.

A Five-Point Regulatory Philosophy

NPERA’s Governing Board, chaired by former Katsina State Governor Dr. Ibrahim Shema, CON, has identified five principles that will guide the new agency:

Transparency
Fairness
Predictability
Efficiency
Accountability

These principles address some of the most persistent concerns within Nigeria’s maritime sector.

Port users have frequently complained about unclear tariffs, overlapping charges, prolonged dispute resolution, regulatory uncertainty and the high cost of moving goods through Nigerian ports. Service providers and investors also require stable rules, fair enforcement and predictable procedures to make long-term investment decisions.

For NPERA to succeed, tariffs must be based on transparent economic considerations; service providers must understand their obligations; port users must have accessible complaint-resolution mechanisms; and regulatory decisions must be supported by verifiable data.

The agency’s planned deployment of digital platforms for licensing, tariff administration, compliance monitoring, reporting and stakeholder engagement will be central to achieving these goals.

The Immediate Priorities Before NPERA

The creation of NPERA is historic, but the true measure of the reform will be its impact on businesses and ordinary Nigerians.

The agency’s immediate priorities should include establishing a transparent tariff database, publishing enforceable service standards, simplifying licensing procedures and introducing measurable timelines for resolving commercial disputes.

NPERA must also build a regulatory intelligence system that collects and analyses data on cargo movement, service delivery, tariffs, complaints and operator performance. Reliable data will enable the agency to identify bottlenecks, prevent arbitrary charges and intervene before commercial disputes escalate.

The transition from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council must be carefully managed. Personnel, assets, liabilities, contracts, licences, pending disputes and regulatory records must be transferred without disrupting existing port operations.

Equally important is inter-agency cooperation. NPERA will need strong working relationships with the Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, terminal operators, shipping companies, freight forwarders and port-user associations.

The agency must complement these institutions while remaining firm within its own statutory responsibilities.

Connecting Port Regulation to National Economic Growth

NPERA’s success will have implications beyond the maritime sector.

When port costs are excessive, businesses pass those expenses to consumers. When cargo remains at the port for too long, manufacturers face production delays, exporters lose markets and perishable goods can deteriorate. When rules are unpredictable, investors calculate additional risk into every business decision.

Conversely, efficient ports reduce logistics costs, improve supply-chain reliability, stimulate exports, generate employment and strengthen government revenue.

This is why NPERA must be viewed as an economic-development institution rather than merely another regulatory agency. Its work will influence Nigeria’s capacity to become a competitive manufacturing, logistics and export hub under the Federal Government’s Marine and Blue Economy programme and its ambition to build a one-trillion-dollar economy.

Dr. Akutah has stated that the new framework should substantially clarify Nigeria’s port regulatory environment within the next one to two years. Achieving that objective will require firm enforcement, open stakeholder engagement and a culture in which regulatory decisions are judged by measurable economic outcomes.

A Defining National Assignment

Dr. Pius Akutah assumes leadership of NPERA at a defining moment in Nigeria’s economic history.

The transition recognises the reforms already initiated under his leadership, but it also places a greater burden of responsibility upon him. NPERA must now convert legal authority into lower costs, fairer pricing, faster dispute resolution, improved cargo movement and greater confidence in Nigerian ports.

The foundations have already been laid through tariff reforms, digitalisation, consumer protection, Alternative Dispute Resolution, institutional capacity development and persistent advocacy for a permanent legal framework.

The next phase is implementation.

With Dr. Akutah at the helm, NPERA has an opportunity to build a port regulatory system that protects users without discouraging investment, promotes competition without creating instability and strengthens government revenue without imposing unjustified costs on businesses.

This is not merely a new position for Dr. Akutah. It is a national assignment to help reshape the commercial architecture of Nigeria’s ports and unlock the enormous economic possibilities of the country’s marine and blue economy.

The journey from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to NPERA has been long. The law is now in place, the agency has commenced operations, and the harder—but more consequential—work has begun.