Dr. Akutah Says NPERA Will Drive $1trn Economy, Charges Workforce To Embrace Professionalism, Commitment
By Asuquo Nuwak
Dr. Akutah Says NPERA Will Drive $1trn Economy, Charges Workforce To Embrace Professionalism, Commitment
The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA), Dr. Pius Akutah, MON, has charged staff of the newly established agency to embrace professionalism, commitment and a new work culture as they assume responsibilities under the agency’s expanded statutory mandate.
Akutah gave the charge during a town hall meeting with staff at the agency’s Headquarters in Lagos, describing the transition from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to NPERA as a major institutional transformation requiring a corresponding change in mindset and approach to work.
Official report from the Agency said the meeting was one of the first major engagements between the new management and staff following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026, which formally establishes NPERA as Nigeria’s statutory economic regulator for the ports.
Importantly, Akutah said the new legislation had provided the agency with a stronger legal foundation and broader powers to promote efficiency, transparency, fair competition and competitiveness within Nigeria’s port industry.
He added that the NPERA Act has strengthened their regulatory powers to institute effective regulation at the ports, pointing out that with this mandate, they are positioned to drive efficiency, transparency and competitiveness in the port sector.
He urged employees to recognise that the transition was more than a change of name or institutional identity, stressing that the new mandate required a culture anchored on professionalism, accountability, innovation and results.
According to him, the effectiveness of NPERA would ultimately be judged by the quality of services delivered to port users, the predictability of the regulatory environment and the extent to which the agency contributes to making Nigerian ports more competitive.
However, Akutah linked the new regulatory framework to the Federal Government’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy, saying an efficient and business-friendly port system was critical to expanding trade, attracting investment and unlocking the economic potential of Nigeria’s maritime sector.
He said NPERA would seek to create a regulatory environment in which shipping lines, terminal operators, importers, exporters, freight forwarders and other port users could operate with greater certainty.
He commended President Tinubu for assenting to the legislation, describing the Act as the long-awaited statutory framework for transforming port economic regulation into a full-fledged institutional mandate.
Besides, he also acknowledged the role of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, in providing leadership and facilitating stakeholder engagement that contributed to the passage of the legislation.
Similarly, he appreciated the National Assembly for enacting the law, stressing that the new framework presented an opportunity to address longstanding challenges affecting economic regulation in the ports.
However, he emphasised that the success of NPERA would depend largely on its implementation and the ability of its personnel to translate the provisions of the law into measurable improvements for port users and the wider economy.
The Director-General also assured stakeholders that NPERA would work closely with sister agencies, particularly the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), to deepen ongoing reforms and improve service delivery.
Aside from this, he stressed that the emergence of NPERA was not intended to create institutional rivalry within the maritime sector, but to provide clearer separation of responsibilities and ensure that relevant agencies operate effectively within their respective mandates.
He pointed out that NPERA is to promote a healthy sector that will grow the economy of Nigeria.
He said under the NPERA Act, the agency is empowered to regulate port tariffs and charges, enforce service standards, promote fair competition, facilitate trade and provide mechanisms for resolving commercial disputes within the ports industry.
That is not all, he added that the agency is also expected to strengthen protection for port users and promote a more transparent and predictable business environment capable of attracting investment and improving Nigeria’s position in regional and global maritime trade.
Significantly too, Akutah told the staff of the new agency in a clear message that the transformation from the Shippers’ Council to NPERA must be reflected not only in the institution’s new statutory powers, but also in the professionalism, efficiency and service orientation of its personnel.
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