Those who are conversant with developments in Nigeria’ s unpredictable maritime domain would not be surprised that the much touted Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Bill is now gathering dust at Aso Villa ,and may never get the Presidential assent after all .History tells us this is a regular pattern and that it might be easier for a niddle to pass through the eye of a needle than for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign this game changing bill into law.
The NPERA Bill is a crucial legislative push to transform the Nigerian Shippers Council into an independent, powerful economic regulator for ports,aiming to curb arbitrary charges ,ensure fair competetion,attract investment and boost the Blue Economy by giving legal backing to control tariffs and economic services in Nigerian Ports. Inspite of the potential economic value of this bill , especially in light of the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, there is a deep rooted opposition to this bill by some MDAs under the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy. Like in past when similar attempts met a brickwall, agencies such as Nigerian Ports Authority and Nigerian Maritime Adminitration and Safety Agency , NIMA, feel threatened, and would stop at nothing to “kill” NPERA. Their fear is that if the bill is signed into law, it would, to a large extent diminish their influence and dominance in the sector. A pointer to this effect was the discordant tunes which emanated during the Public Hearing of the Bill in 2024.
The Public Hearing on the Bill sponsored by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Tajudeen Abass was almost aborted at the 11th hour on account of conflicting signals from Mr Adegboyega Oyetola , Marine and Blue Economy Minister and some stakeholders. It took the intervention of The Presidency and the leadership of the National Assembly for the hearing to go ahead. Shipping World has on good authoriy that the same forces who made a futile attempt to stop the public hearing on the bill have now inflltraded the Presidencty, prompting “avoidable queries” on a document whose content was harmonised by both chambers of the National Assembly and heads of MDAs under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, as well as officials of the Federal Ministry of Justice . Key objectives of”the NPERA bill include strenthening regulation, promoting fair competetion, boosting the Blue Economy and repositioning the Nigerian Shippers Council for greater efficiency.
Majority of maritime stakeholders support the bill which they argue has been long over due in coming even as there are serious concerns about potential power conflicts with NPA and NIMASA on seeming duplication of roles. If signed into law by President Tinubu,the bill marks a significant milestone towards mordernising Nigerian Ports and most importantly,for filling the void in an industry that lacks an economic regulator like in sectors such as Oil and Gas, Communication and Banking