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FG transfers Inland Dry Port functions from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to the Nigerian Ports Authority.
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The move follows the enactment of the NPERA Act, 2026. Shippers’ Council is to transition into Nigeria’s substantive port economic regulator, NPERA.
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NPA will oversee the promotion and integration of Inland Dry Ports into the wider port network.
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A ministerial committee constituted to coordinate the NSC-to-NPERA transition.
September 03, (THEWILL) — The Federal Government has begun a major restructuring of Nigeria’s port administration, directing the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to assume the Inland Dry Port (IDP) functions previously handled by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC).
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, announced the directive on Thursday as the government moves to implement a new regulatory framework for the nation’s maritime sector.
The decision follows the enactment of the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Act, 2026, which provides for the transformation of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council into NPERA, the substantive economic regulator for Nigeria’s port industry.
Oyetola said the latest changes are designed to establish a clearer separation between economic regulation, port development and operations.
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With the transfer, the NPA will now be responsible for the promotion and integration of Inland Dry Ports into Nigeria’s broader port infrastructure and operational network.
The government’s position is that assigning the function to the NPA will allow the inland facilities to be better coordinated with the country’s seaports and wider logistics system.
“I have 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 our efforts to establish a clear separation between port economic regulation, development and operations”, Oyetola said.
The minister also directed the immediate formation of a Ministerial Committee to oversee the transition of the Shippers’ Council into NPERA following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the NPERA Act.
Under the new framework, NPERA will take on key economic regulatory responsibilities across the port sector, including tariffs and charges, competition, licensing, service standards, commercial dispute resolution and the protection of port users.
The development effectively redraws the responsibilities of two key institutions in Nigeria’s maritime industry, with NPERA positioned as the economic regulator and the NPA taking a more direct role in port development and operations.
The government is expected to provide further details on the transition process as the ministerial committee begins its work.
Ogochukwu Onwaeze is a writer specializing in business and economic journalism. At THEWILL News Media, she translates market trends, financial developments, and policy shifts into clear and engaging stories.
