–as Akutah proposes inter-agency committee to avert jurisdictional clashes, streamline cargo movement

Funso OLOJO Editor 

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) have begun moves to prevent jurisdictional conflicts and operational disruptions in the management of Nigeria’s Inland Dry Ports (IDPs) as the Federal Government implements sweeping reforms in the port regulatory architecture.

The two agencies agreed to strengthen collaboration and establish a coordinated framework for the transition during a high-level meeting between their management teams at the NPA Corporate Headquarters in Lagos.

The meeting was convened at the instance of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy,  Adegboyega Oyetola, against the backdrop of recent reforms arising from the enactment of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026.

The development followed the Minister’s September 3rd, 2026 directive on the transfer of Inland Dry Ports-related functions, as the Federal Government moves to establish a clearer delineation of responsibilities among agencies responsible for port regulation, development and operations.

The new NPERA Act rebranded and expanded the mandate of the former Nigerian Shippers’ Council, creating a new regulatory framework for Nigeria’s port economic activities.

Receiving the NPERA delegation led by its Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Pius Akutah, the NPA Managing Director, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, congratulated Akutah on the enactment of the legislation and reaffirmed NPA’s readiness to work closely with NPERA during the transition.

Dantsoho stressed the need for closer coordination among agencies under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, noting that the transition provided an opportunity to strengthen Nigeria’s national logistics chain and improve cargo evacuation from seaports to the hinterland.

“This transition represents a critical step forward in optimising our national logistics ecosystem,” Dantsoho said.

According to him, greater institutional alignment would help eliminate operational friction, improve port efficiency and unlock the economic potential of trade and logistics across the country.

Earlier, Akutah highlighted the strategic importance of NPA to the development and sustainability of Inland Dry Ports, describing the facilities as critical infrastructure for extending maritime logistics and cargo distribution beyond the seaports into Nigeria’s hinterland.

“The Nigerian Ports Authority remains a cornerstone in ensuring our Inland Dry Ports function as effective centres for cargo transit and distribution to the hinterlands,” Akutah said.

He explained that the NPERA delegation’s visit was aimed at building a common understanding among the relevant agencies and stakeholders to ensure an orderly, uninterrupted and efficient transition in the management and regulation of Inland Dry Ports.

Inter-agency committee proposed

In a move aimed at preventing institutional rivalry and duplication of responsibilities, Akutah proposed the establishment of a Joint Inter-Agency Committee in the form of a Technical Working Group.

The proposed committee will comprise representatives of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, NPA, NPERA, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).

The committee, he said, would provide a platform for identifying and resolving potential operational conflicts, harmonising administrative procedures and eliminating overlapping responsibilities in the operation and development of Inland Dry Ports across the country.

The initiative is also expected to strengthen coordination among the agencies responsible for the various components of Nigeria’s multimodal transport chain, particularly seaports, rail, inland waterways and dry ports.

Both chief executives subsequently reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the Minister’s policy directives and aligning their respective institutional frameworks to promote trade facilitation, sustainable economic growth and greater efficiency across Nigeria’s port and logistics system.

The latest development comes as the Federal Government seeks to reposition the country’s port and logistics architecture, with Inland Dry Ports expected to play a greater role in decongesting seaports, taking cargo closer to markets and strengthening Nigeria’s connectivity with its hinterland.

Funso OLOJO, Editor

Chairman of SIFAX Group, Dr Taiwo Afolabi, has called for a fundamental shift in the global approach to conflict prevention, urging world leaders to make economic investment, infrastructure development and job creation central to efforts to build lasting peace.

Afolabi said preventing conflicts should not be limited to diplomatic interventions after crises had erupted, but must also address the economic and social conditions that make communities and nations vulnerable to instability.

He made the call in New York, United States, while speaking at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Global Executive Roundtable on Diplomacy, Multilateralism and Conflict Resolution.

According to him, the growing combination of geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, climate pressures, inequality and declining public confidence in institutions requires a coordinated global response that combines preventive diplomacy with sustainable development and economic inclusion.

He argued that peace and economic prosperity were mutually reinforcing, stressing that investment could create the opportunities and shared interests necessary for more stable societies.

“Peace creates the environment for investment, investment creates opportunity, and opportunity strengthens the foundations of peace,” he said.

Afolabi said the link between peace and development was particularly significant for Africa, where infrastructure deficits, limited access to financing, trade barriers and inadequate economic opportunities continue to constrain development.

He called for an investment-driven approach to Africa’s peacebuilding efforts, with greater attention to transport infrastructure, ports, energy, technology, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, education and human capital development.

“Africa’s peacebuilding agenda must be accompanied by an investment agenda. We need investment in transport infrastructure, ports, energy, technology, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, education and human capital,” he said.

The SIFAX Group chairman also called for stronger regional value chains and improved connectivity across African economies, arguing that the successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) would require investments extending beyond the signing of trade agreements.

According to him, efficient infrastructure, logistics networks, digital systems, access to finance and sustained political cooperation would be critical to translating AfCFTA into tangible economic opportunities for Africans.

“Trade and connectivity can create shared interests among nations. The success of AfCFTA depends not only on trade agreements but on infrastructure, efficient logistics, digital systems, financing and political cooperation.”

Afolabi further highlighted the role of the private sector in building economic connections that can foster cooperation among communities, businesses and countries.

Drawing from SIFAX Group’s operations spanning maritime, logistics, aviation, financial services, oil and gas and hospitality, he said infrastructure and connectivity should be viewed beyond their commercial value and recognised as instruments of broader economic development and social stability.

He explained that efficient logistics systems could connect producers to markets, manufacturers to consumers and businesses to international value chains while strengthening economic links between countries.

“A functioning logistics system can connect farmers to markets, manufacturers to consumers, businesses to international value chains and countries to one another,” he said.

He added that such economic connections could create shared interests and incentives for cooperation, making infrastructure and investment important components of a comprehensive global peacebuilding strategy.

Afolabi’s intervention places the private sector and economic development at the centre of the wider international conversation on diplomacy, multilateralism and conflict prevention, particularly in developing regions where economic exclusion and infrastructure gaps remain significant challenges.

Gloria Odion Maritme reporter 

High port charges, ageing infrastructure, fragmented digital systems and poor stakeholder attitudes have emerged as major threats to the competitiveness of Nigerian ports, maritime industry stakeholders have warned.

They said the challenges were driving up the cost of cargo handling, delaying vessel and cargo turnaround, weakening the attractiveness of Nigerian ports and potentially diverting cargoes to competing ports in neighbouring countries.

The stakeholders spoke during a panel session at the 4th Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN) Maritime Annual Lecture (MAMAL 2026), held at the Nigerian Air Force Events Centre, 1 Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The lecture was themed “Nigerian Ports Modernisation, Charges and the Competitiveness Question.”

Moderating the session, Mr Emmanuel Maigunwa said port competitiveness should not be viewed merely from the perspective of reducing the cost of importing and exporting goods, but also in terms of positioning Nigeria as a major regional trade and transit hub.

He said efficient and competitively priced ports would reduce the burden on businesses and consumers while enabling Nigeria to attract transit cargoes from neighbouring countries and maximise the economic benefits of its strategic maritime location.

Representing the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mr Willem Inya identified the multiplicity of port charges as a major concern for private-sector operators.

According to him, importers are often confronted with several charges in the course of clearing their containers, while delays frequently lead to additional demurrage and other costs.

He called for the harmonisation and rationalisation of port charges, warning that excessive and multiple charges could undermine the competitiveness of Nigerian businesses.

Also speaking, the Assistant General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Planning, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Joseph Adegbite, identified ageing infrastructure as one of the most critical constraints to efficient port operations.

Adegbite said most Nigerian ports, with the exception of the Lekki Deep Sea Port, were more than 50 years old, making large-scale infrastructure renewal imperative to improving productivity and efficiency.

He explained that deteriorating infrastructure limits the deployment of modern cargo-handling equipment, thereby affecting productivity and increasing vessel and cargo dwell time.

“Every inefficiency in port operations ultimately translates into additional costs for port users and consumers,” he said.

Adegbite disclosed that the Federal Government’s port modernisation programme would commence with the Lagos port complex, given the area’s dominant share of Nigeria’s maritime traffic, before extending to ports in the Eastern region.

He, however, stressed that modernisation must not be restricted to physical infrastructure.

According to him, digital integration, renewable energy, Port Community Systems and the implementation of a Maritime Single Window are equally essential to creating an efficient modern port system.

“Port operation is a communal system. It is a community,” he said, stressing the need for all agencies and stakeholders operating within the port environment to be digitally integrated.

Such integration, he explained, would eliminate operational silos, improve information sharing and reduce delays.

Adegbite also identified infrastructure deficiencies at several ports, including the Rivers and Warri ports, while noting that the Onne Port also required significant infrastructure improvements.

Contributing from the floor, the Managing Director of Le Look Bags, Mrs Chinwe Ezenwa, said infrastructure renewal alone would not resolve the problems confronting Nigerian ports.

She argued that the attitude and mindset of port users, operators and other stakeholders must also change if investments in infrastructure were to produce sustainable results.

Ezenwa called for deliberate sensitisation and reorientation of stakeholders to promote responsible use and protection of public infrastructure.

She said she had witnessed instances of vandalism of government infrastructure, warning that substantial investments in port facilities could be undermined if public assets were not properly protected.

She therefore advocated sustained public enlightenment and a renewed value system among port users and operators.

On the implications of high port charges, Captain Ladi Olubowale of the African Ship Owners Association warned that excessive costs could encourage cargo diversion to ports in neighbouring countries.

He said cargoes diverted from Nigerian ports could eventually find their way into the country through land borders, adding that the additional logistics costs would ultimately be passed on to consumers and could worsen inflationary pressures.

Olubowale also linked excessive port charges to the growth of smuggling, arguing that high costs could undermine efforts to formalise trade and expand the Nigerian economy.

He maintained that achieving Nigeria’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030 would require efficient and competitive ports supported by transparent, harmonised and predictable charges.

The stakeholders consequently called for a coordinated port reform strategy combining infrastructure renewal, digitalisation, transparent and harmonised charges, stakeholder sensitisation and improved operational efficiency.

They stressed that Nigeria’s strategic geographical position and extensive maritime resources would not automatically translate into economic gains unless its ports became efficient, competitive and attractive to cargo owners and regional traders.

The panel discussion was one of the major activities at MAMAL 2026, MARAN’s flagship annual maritime lecture, which brought together policymakers, regulators, industry operators, academics, journalists and other stakeholders to examine the challenges and opportunities surrounding the modernisation and competitiveness of Nigerian ports.