By Mary Emeka
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has been stripped of its functions relating to inland dry ports as the Federal Government moves to transfer the responsibilities to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
The development follows the decision of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, to reposition the NSC ahead of its transition into the newly established Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA).
The Minister has also ordered the setting up of a ministerial committee to oversee the transition from the Shippers’ Council to NPERA following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the NPERA Act, 2026.
The new arrangement effectively narrows the functions of the former Shippers’ Council as the government seeks to ensure that the new economic regulator is focused on regulation rather than operational, developmental and promotional activities.
The NSC has served as Nigeria’s interim port economic regulator since 2014. With the enactment of the NPERA law, it is expected to transmute into NPERA and concentrate on economic regulation, including tariffs and charges, competition, licensing, service standards, commercial dispute resolution and protection of port users.
Oyetola said the separation of functions was necessary to prevent conflicts of interest and strengthen the credibility of the country’s port regulatory system.
He explained that an economic regulator should operate as an impartial referee and should not simultaneously perform functions that could compromise, or be perceived to compromise, its neutrality.
“The establishment of NPERA is a landmark reform,” Oyetola said, adding that the transition from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to NPERA must be carefully managed.
The Minister said the ministerial committee would provide oversight and ensure that functions previously performed by the NSC are transferred to the appropriate institutions.
On inland dry ports, Oyetola said moving the function to the NPA was intended to improve the integration of dry ports into Nigeria’s wider port infrastructure and operational network.