Oyetola Orders Transfer Of Inland Dry Ports To NPA
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has directed the transfer of inland dry port (IDP) functions currently handled by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
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).
The directives followed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the NPERA Act, 2026, which formally establishes a substantive economic regulator for Nigeria’s port sector.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser, Bolaji Akinola, in Abuja on Thursday, the minister said the measures were aimed at creating a clear separation between port economic regulation, development and operations.
The NPERA Act brings to an end a two-decade wait for a dedicated statutory economic regulator for the nation’s port sector. Under the new framework, the NSC, which has served as Nigeria’s interim port economic regulator since 2014, will transition into NPERA.
The new agency is expected to focus 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 presented an opportunity to establish an independent regulator free from operational, developmental and promotional responsibilities that could create actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
“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.
According to the minister, the committee would provide the necessary oversight to ensure a seamless transition and ensure that functions are assigned to institutions with appropriate mandates.
He stressed that the credibility and effectiveness of an economic regulator depended partly on its ability to operate as an impartial referee without responsibilities that could compromise public confidence in its neutrality.
“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 would strengthen confidence in the regulatory framework, improve transparency and provide a more predictable operating environment for port users, investors, terminal operators, shipping companies and other stakeholders.
The minister, however, assured stakeholders that the transfer of IDP functions from the NSC to the NPA should not be seen as a reduction in the Federal Government’s commitment to developing inland dry ports.
Rather, he said, the move was designed to strengthen the IDP programme by placing its promotion under an institution with the operational and infrastructure mandate to integrate the facilities into the country’s broader port 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,” Oyetola said.
He said the ultimate goal was to build a more efficient and integrated port system capable of serving businesses and communities across the country.
