Category: Business

From Blueprints to Boom: Usoro Urges Nigeria to Build a ‘Whole-of-Government Engine’ for Blue Economy Wealth

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Nigeria has successfully found an administrative “home” and a 10-year master plan for its massive marine wealth, but the country must now aggressively transition from paperwork to practical profits for its citizens. This was the central message delivered on Friday, 16 October 2026, by Mrs. Mfon Ekong Usoro, FCILT, Managing Partner at Paul Usoro & Co., during a powerful keynote address commemorating World Maritime Day 2026. Speaking at the prestigious Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, the prominent maritime law expert—who brings monumental authority as the pioneer Director-General of the…

Data Security: NPERA, NDPC Partner to Secure Nigeria’s Port Economy

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The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA), Akutah Piuys Ukeyima, MON, FCILT PhD, has initiated a high-level strategic alignment with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to aggressively strengthen data privacy, information security, and responsible governance across the nation’s port economic regulatory landscape. Dr. Akutah formalized this push recently at the NPERA’s Abuja Liaison Office during a high-stakes executive session with the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, who led a high-powered delegation to the newly transitioned…

Cargo Logistics Boost: Dantsoho, Hassan Bello, Others Meet Over Dry Ports Integration

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The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has launched a high-stakes campaign to fully integrate Inland Dry Ports (IDPs) into the nation’s modern maritime architecture. Managing Director Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho is demanding aggressive infrastructure upgrades, deep-ticket private sector investments, and seamless digital connectivity to revolutionize Nigeria’s hinterland cargo logistics chain. Dr. Dantsoho finalized the commitment at the NPA corporate headquarters in Marina, Lagos, on Thursday, October 8, 2026 during a strategic executive session with the Executive Director of Dala Inland Dry Port, Mr. Ahmad Rabiu, and other prominent representatives from the Funtua…

IBA 2026: Mfon Usoro Demands Unified Front on Legal Services Trade

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Frontline maritime lawyer and Vice-Chair of the International Bar Association (IBA) Bar Issues Commission (BIC), Barr. Mfon Ekong Usoro, has issued an urgent call for seamless subnational and federal collaboration to safeguard domestic legal markets in international trade agreements. In a session monitored virtually by Sooth News at the ongoing 2026 IBA Annual Conference at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Usoro made a compelling case for regulatory alignment amid rapidly shifting global frameworks. Usoro, a leading voice on the BIC Committee on International Trade in Legal Services (BIC ITILS), specifically…

Port Sanitation: NPERA to Enforce New Act via Fines, Prosecution as MACN Complies

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The National Port Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) is set to strictly enforce its new 2026 regulatory Act using heavy fines and criminal prosecutions to sanitize Nigeria’s maritime sector. Speaking on the development, NPERA Director-General/CEO, Dr. Pius Akutah Ukeyima, MON, emphasized that the agency will no longer tolerate non-compliance, prompting immediate alignment from stakeholders as the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) moves to comply with the new directives. Dr. Akutah disclosed this on Tuesday, September 23, 2026, at the NPERA Headquarters in Lagos during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the…

Blue Economy Vanguard: MARCON Honors NPERA’s Dr. Akutah with Lifetime Award; NIMASA, IMION, NPA to Speak

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In a landmark recognition of regulatory excellence, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA), Dr. Akutah Pius Ukeyima, MON, is set to be honoured with the prestigious Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON) Lifetime Achievement Award. The elite honour recognizes his monumental contributions to Nigeria’s maritime architecture, particularly his pioneering role in shaping port economic regulations and driving structural reforms across the industry. Dr. Akutah’s career highlights a transformative journey spanning the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to the emergence of NPERA as the…

NPERA, NPA Launch Technical Talks Over Inland Dry Ports Transfer

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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…

BAECC Appoints CILT Abuja Chairman Onwodi to Spearhead Benin-Asaba Expressway Delivery

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The Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company Limited (BAECC) has appointed the incumbent Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Abuja Branch, Dr Emmanuel Onwodi, as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). According to the company, the strategic appointment aims to reinforce its executive bench as it accelerates the development and management of the critical Benin-Asaba highway corridor. Dr Onwodi—a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and a Chartered Accountant of repute, he is currently the Chairman finance and audit Committee of CILT Nigeria, a…

Band A Reclassiication: Let The Service Come Before the Hgher Tariff

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By: Dr. Philip B. Olusola,. Lead City University, Ibadan The recent reclassification of some communities and feeders within the coverage area of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to Band A has been received with mixed feelings. For residents who have endured years of inadequate and unreliable electricity supply, the prospect of enjoying more stable power is certainly welcome. Indeed, nobody who desires development can reasonably oppose improved electricity supply. But while we welcome better electricity, there is a legitimate question that deserves the attention of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory…

Trade Facilitation: IMION Urges NPERA, Stakeholders to Boost Port Compliance

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Maritime and logistics experts have called on the newly established Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) to champion the implementation of a single-window port system. This mechanism, featuring full ecosystem visibility across all trade nodes, is projected to secure robust regulatory control and seamless trade facilitation The call was made in Lagos during the three-day Executive Course on Logistics and Trade Facilitation for Blue Economy Growth, hosted by the International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION). Addressing stakeholders, the Director-General of the African Centre for Supply Chain Management, Dr. Obiora Madu,…