NPERA Vows Fines, Prosecution For Maritime Infractions
The Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) has vowed to enforce its new legal framework against infractions and violations in the maritime sector, including the imposition of fines and criminal prosecution of offenders where necessary.
The Director-General of NPERA, Dr Pius Akutah, disclosed this on Tuesday when the executive members of the Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON) visited the agency’s headquarters in Lagos.
Akutah said the NPERA Act 2026 had empowered the agency to regulate the economic activities of the maritime sector, sanitise port operations and establish a level playing field for port users and service providers.
According to him, the agency’s responsibilities include protecting investments, regulating tariffs and improving the competitiveness of Nigerian ports.
He stressed that NPERA would operate as an impartial regulator and would not target any particular maritime service provider or port user.
Akutah said the new regulatory regime also provided the agency with the authority to impose financial penalties on those who violated its provisions, while certain offences could attract criminal prosecution and imprisonment.
He said the objective was to establish a strong deterrent against practices capable of undermining the efficiency of the maritime logistics chain and trade.
“The potency of the law is to help to sanitise the sector and we will have to apply the full weight of this law. That is the only time that deterrent regime will work to protect the investments that are made there,” he said.
The NPERA boss further disclosed that the legislation would strengthen alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in the maritime industry, particularly in view of the lengthy and costly nature of litigation.
He said effective implementation of the law would help Nigerian ports compete favourably with international counterparts and contribute to the Federal Government’s target of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
Akutah also said NPERA was collaborating with other government agencies to eliminate overlapping responsibilities in the maritime sector.
He credited the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, with helping to prevent inter-agency rivalry during the development of the legislation.
According to him, heads of relevant agencies were brought together by the minister to scrutinise the proposed law paragraph by paragraph and line by line before a common version was agreed upon and submitted to the National Assembly.
He said the heads of the agencies signed every page of the agreed document before it was forwarded to the National Assembly, ensuring that the legislation reflected the consensus reached among the agencies.
Akutah also disclosed that NPERA had begun the process of transferring the development function of Inland Dry Ports to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), in accordance with the minister’s directive.
He expressed optimism that other agencies would similarly relinquish responsibilities that were primarily regulatory, adding that the ministry was coordinating the transition to ensure that relevant agencies were carried along.
The NPERA director-general commended MARCON for its partnership with the agency and urged maritime journalists to continue educating the public on the provisions of the new law and its implications for the industry.
Speaking earlier, MARCON President, Ismail Aniemu, commended Akutah and his team for securing legislative backing for the new regulatory framework.
Aniemu described the enactment of the NPERA Act as a significant development for Nigeria’s maritime industry, noting that it provides a statutory framework for the economic regulation of the ports.
He urged NPERA to ensure that the law translates into effective regulation that would improve port competitiveness, reduce inefficiencies, support economic growth and strengthen Nigeria’s position as a maritime hub in West and Central Africa.
