The Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) have initiated high-level technical discussions to transition inland dry port oversight, a strategic realignment aimed at reinforcing Nigeria’s rapidly evolving marine and blue economy framework.
The inter-agency session zeroed in on the technical mechanics of the transition, prioritising the clear delineation of regulatory responsibilities to eliminate systemic overlaps and prevent the duplication of regulatory functions.
Speaking on the alignment, the Director-General and CEO of NPERA, Dr Akutah Pius, MON, emphasized that the directive from the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, is a forward-looking mandate designed strictly to unlock the nation’s maritime potential.”The successful execution of this transition cannot be achieved by NPERA in isolation,” Dr Pius stated, underscoring that institutional synergy across the maritime ecosystem remains non-negotiable.
“The cooperation of all relevant stakeholders is essential to achieving our national objectives.”
He further noted that while the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy will centrally anchor the transition process, respective operational mandates will be systematically transferred to ensure a seamless, friction-free integration.
Dr Pius revealed that timely intervention by the Minister while the NPERA Bill was still pending before the National Assembly proved pivotal. The Minister’s mediation successfully defused long-standing inter-agency friction, paving the way for the robust collaborative foundation witnessed today.
This milestone convergence between the leadership of NPERA and the NPA marks a definitive shift toward a unified regulatory ecosystem. By systematically addressing the transfer of inland dry port operations, both entities are actively removing bureaucratic bottlenecks to catalyze investment within the blue economy.
The high-level technical session moved beyond mere formalities to address structural mechanics. Top management from both agencies focused intensely on mapping out clear jurisdictional boundaries, a move designed to protect stakeholders from conflicting regulatory demands and redundant oversight.
Dr Pius reiterated that the ministerial directive from Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, is a strategic blueprint rather than a mere administrative reshuffle. “This directive must be viewed through the lens of national interest—it is explicitly designed to expand and modernize our maritime asset base,” he remarked.
Acknowledging the scale of the restructuring, the NPERA chief made it clear that a siloed approach would fail. “An overhaul of this magnitude cannot be executed by NPERA alone,” Dr Pius emphasized. “Uncompromising institutional synergy across the board is the only way to deliver on this mandate.”
Moving forward, the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy will maintain strategic oversight of the transition, serving as the central clearinghouse. This ensures that operational mandates are transferred systematically, guaranteeing zero disruption to trade facilitation and port-to-hinterland logistics.
Dr Pius revealed that the Minister’s decisive intervention while the NPERA Bill was still pending before the National Assembly proved pivotal, successfully defusing deep-seated inter-agency friction and cementing a robust blueprint for future institutional synergy.
He heavily underscored that absolute alignment is non-negotiable for a frictionless handover. He clarified that the strategic convergence serves as the formal activation point for transferring inland dry port oversight to NPERA, fully activating its statutory mandate as the nation’s premier maritime economic regulator.
To ensure zero regulatory drift, the NPERA Chief Executive emphasized the urgency of breathing life into the statutory provisions of the NPERA Act—particularly Section 51—to effectively align stakeholder obligations and guarantee a seamless transition.
Consequently, the NPERA boss moved for the immediate empanelling of a high-powered joint committee. This unified task force will bring together NPERA, the NPA, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), and the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to centrally pilot the transition architecture.
“Inland dry ports are the vital economic conduits required to extend the wealth of our maritime sector directly into Nigeria’s hinterlands, drastically reinforcing the country’s broader trade and logistics ecosystem,” Dr Pius observed.
In a swift display of institutional solidarity, the Managing Director of the NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, welcomed the strategic realignment, pledging the Authority’s full operational weight and technical machinery to back NPERA throughout the transition pipeline.
Dr Dantsoho affirmed that the process has taken off with impeccable intent and clarity of purpose. He disclosed that the NPA will immediately deploy updated, granular data on the current operational status of all inland dry ports to seamlessly fuel the ongoing high-level deliberations.
Expressing robust optimism, the NPA Chief Executive noted that sustained, deep-level engagements would rapidly unlock the core objectives of the transition while fundamentally modernizing Nigeria’s inland port network.
Echoing this stance, the Executive Director of the NPA, Engr Lekan Badmus, lauded NPERA’s proactive diplomacy, characterizing the strategic roundtable as a historic step toward structural cohesion.
Engr Badmus pointed out that both agencies have now officially entered the rigorous technical phase of the transition, where microscopic attention is being dedicated to entirely wiping out regulatory duplication and functional overlaps.
Capping the high-stakes session, Dr Akutah stated that the newly proposed joint committee will urgently reconvene with the Honorable Minister to secure definitive operational clarifications and ratify the immediate, tactical steps required to execute a flawless, zero-disruption transition.
