Ibrahim Nasiru

President Bola Tinubu’s assent to the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Bill, 2026, is the single most consequential legislative event in the modern history of our maritime domain.

Announced on August 13, 2026, by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr. Pius Akutah, this law marks the definitive end of regulatory hesitation at our Port gates.

For over a decade, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council operated under a crippling structural handicap.

Drafted as an interim economic regulator by policy directive in 2014, the Council was essentially a referee without a whistle.

It relied heavily on moral suasion, diplomatic mediation, and advocacy to get things done.

Multinational shipping lines and terminal concessionaires knew this systemic weakness and exploited it.

They routinely dragged the Council to court to stall enforcement, buy time, and protect their arbitrary local charges.

NPERA completely dismantles that analogue era of compromise. This is not the creation of a fresh, bloated bureaucratic agency; it is a statutory evolution.

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council has officially been weaponized into an independent, executive umpire backed by the full raw enforcement powers of an Act of Parliament.

The immediate message to the maritime community is loud and direct: the era of arbitrary tariff regimes and parallel pricing structures is officially dead.

Under the new NPERA framework, the agency holds exclusive statutory powers to approve, review, or freeze Port costs.

Any shipping line or terminal manager attempting to introduce unapproved local handling fees or manipulative demurrage timelines will face immediate, binding legal sanctions.

Crucially, this new law draws a hard line under the chronic agency supremacy tussles that have choked national productivity for years.

The operational boundaries are now mathematically clear. The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) remains the technical landlord. NIMASA retains control over safety and marine security. NPERA steps in as the supreme financial and economic regulator.

Furthermore, the introduction of specialized administrative arbitration tribunals means shippers no longer have to endure years of delayed litigation in civilian courts to resolve commercial disputes.

Wrongful container detentions and predatory monopolies can now be penalised within a specialized regulatory framework.

However, stakeholders must understand that this transition operates on a tight bureaucratic clock.

While the policy freeze on unapproved tariffs is immediate, the next 90 days will see the formal gazetting and full asset migration into the new legal structure.

By late 2026, mandatory statutory registration for all active maritime service providers will become an unyielding reality.

The signature on the bill is a massive victory, but paper alone cannot clear a port corridor.

The newly empowered leadership of NPERA must immediately deploy these legal teeth to smash the manual bottlenecks and parallel checkpoints that undermine our trade velocity.

The law has changed, the referee finally has a whistle, and the industry must align with this new enforcement reality.

Chief Ibrahim Nasiru, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja

–-target waste, pollution, boost navigation, fisheries and blue economy

Funso Olojo, Editor

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), in partnership with Parts Central Limited, is set to launch a nationwide environmental initiative aimed at tackling pollution, indiscriminate waste disposal and debris choking Nigeria’s inland waterways.

The pioneering programme, which seeks to turn waste recovered from the waterways into economic value, is expected to simultaneously improve navigation, create employment, protect aquatic biodiversity and strengthen Nigeria’s fisheries economy.

Government officials and key private-sector stakeholders across the maritime sector have been invited to the official unveiling of the initiative scheduled for Tuesday, August 18th, 2026, at Bic Garden, Lagos.

The project was conceived under the leadership of the immediate past Managing Director of NIWA, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, and represents an ambitious attempt to introduce a structured and sustainable approach to the management of waste across Nigeria’s inland waterway network.

The initiative will identify major sources of pollution and indiscriminate waste disposal, deploy organised systems for removing waste from the waterways and develop mechanisms for converting recovered waste into economic opportunities.

According to the promoters, the programme is designed not merely as a clean-up exercise but as an environmental and economic intervention capable of supporting communities that depend on the waterways for their livelihoods.

Beyond Cleaning the Waterways

A major objective of the programme is to improve the navigability of Nigeria’s inland waterways by removing debris and other pollution-related obstructions that impede the movement of boats and watercraft.

The initiative is also expected to contribute to the conservation of aquatic biodiversity, much of which remains poorly documented, while creating a cleaner and healthier environment for aquatic life.

Stakeholders believe that cleaner waterways could have significant implications for Nigeria’s fisheries sector, particularly communities whose livelihoods depend heavily on fishing and other water-based economic activities.

The project therefore places environmental sustainability at the centre of the broader economic development potential of Nigeria’s inland waterways.

Blue Economy Gets Fresh Push

The initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s emerging blue economy strategy, which seeks to move Nigeria’s maritime resources beyond their traditional use for transportation and exploit their wider economic potential.

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has consistently advocated the strategic development of Nigeria’s inland waterways as important assets for economic diversification, employment creation and sustainable development.

The partnership between NIWA and Parts Central is expected to provide a practical pathway for translating some of these blue economy objectives into grassroots environmental and economic interventions.

Oyebamiji’s Legacy

The initiative also represents one of the major sustainability programmes associated with the tenure of Oyebamiji as Managing Director of NIWA.

Oyebamiji, who is now the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Osun State, had placed emphasis on improving the capacity and functionality of Nigeria’s inland waterways during his tenure.

The nationwide waterways clean-up programme is expected to build on that environmental and sustainability agenda by providing a structured framework for tackling one of the persistent challenges confronting inland water transportation and the wider aquatic ecosystem.

Stakeholders seek buy-in

In a joint statement, NIWA Lagos Area Manager, Engr. Sarat Braimah, and Managing Director of Parts Central Limited, Henry Olaoluwa Onifade, said the Lagos unveiling was designed to properly brief stakeholders on the initiative and secure their support for its implementation.

They stressed the importance of collaboration among government agencies, private-sector operators, waterfront communities, environmental stakeholders and other participants in the maritime ecosystem to achieve the objectives of the programme.

The partners said the success of the initiative would depend significantly on broad stakeholder participation and sustained commitment to responsible waste management.

With Nigeria’s inland waterways stretching across a vast network of rivers, creeks, lakes and navigable channels, the initiative is expected to provide a platform for a more coordinated national response to waterway pollution while unlocking new opportunities in waste recycling, environmental services, fisheries and other components of the blue economy.

The August 18 unveiling in Lagos will therefore mark the formal beginning of what the promoters envisage as a nationwide environmental intervention to make Nigeria’s inland waterways cleaner, safer, more navigable and economically productive.

–generates N19.84bn in 7 months, beats 2025 full-year revenue by N3.9bn

Gloria Odion Maritme reporter

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has intercepted a truckload of 1,306 bags of expired noodles, illicit drugs, 310,000 sticks of cigarettes, foreign rice and 3,300 cartridges of explosive materials in a major crackdown on smuggling and cross-border criminality.

The seized consignments, alongside several vehicles and watercraft, have a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N365.16 million, underscoring the intensity of enforcement operations along the Seme border corridor.

The Command also delivered a major revenue performance, generating N19.84 billion between January and July 2026, already surpassing its entire 2025 collection of N15.94 billion by N3.9 billion.

The seven-month collection represents a 24.45 per cent increase over the Command’s 2025 annual performance.

The Area Controller, Seme Area Command, Comptroller Abdullahi Kaila,who disclosed the seizures while briefing journalists during the display of the seized items, said the enforcement successes were products of intelligence gathering, surveillance, inter-agency cooperation and the vigilance of Customs personnel.

He said the Command would continue to combine aggressive enforcement with trade facilitation to protect the Nigerian economy while ensuring that legitimate businesses operating through the border are not frustrated.

Expired noodles destined for Nigerian market

One of the most disturbing seizures involved 1,306 sacks of expired and waste noodles, each weighing 50kg.

The consignment was intercepted after Customs officers, acting on intelligence, stopped a truck falsely declared to be carrying food items.

Examination of the truck revealed the expired noodles, which had deteriorated and were visibly decomposing.

Preliminary intelligence indicated that the products were allegedly being moved for repackaging and relabelling before being pushed into the Nigerian market.

The interception, according to the Command, prevented potentially hazardous food products from reaching unsuspecting consumers.

The Command stressed that its border enforcement mandate goes beyond revenue protection, noting that Customs operations also serve as a critical line of defence against products capable of endangering public health.

1,268 bags of foreign rice intercepted

Customs officers also intercepted 1,268 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50kg, allegedly smuggled into the country through unauthorised routes.

The Command said the illegal importation of rice deprives government of legitimate revenue while undermining domestic agricultural production and investments in Nigeria’s rice value chain.

It warned smugglers and their collaborators that officers would sustain surveillance across identified smuggling routes and flashpoints within the border area.

Cannabis, Tramadol, Tapentadol, Cigarettes Seized

The enforcement operation also yielded significant seizures of illicit drugs and regulated products.

Items intercepted included 373 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, 90 packs of Tramaking 250mg, 69 packs of Royal Tapentadol 250mg and 310,000 sticks of Time/Yes cigarettes.

The Command said the seizure had disrupted illicit supply chains and prevented substances capable of fuelling drug abuse and other social vices from entering Nigerian communities.

The seized pharmaceutical products and illicit drugs are to be handed over to the appropriate regulatory and enforcement agencies for further investigation and necessary action.

3,300 explosive cartridges raise security alarm

The seizure of 3,300 cartridges of explosive materials emerged as one of the most significant security breakthroughs recorded by the Command.

The materials were intercepted while being illegally conveyed through the border corridor.

Given the potential security implications of explosives falling into the hands of criminal networks, the Command said the seizure was particularly significant.

It warned that such materials could potentially be diverted for violent criminal activities, including terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.

The explosive materials have been transferred to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit of the Nigeria Police Force for safe custody and further investigation.

One suspect linked to the seizure has also been transferred to the police unit.

Vehicles, watercraft impounded

The enforcement operations further resulted in the interception of a number of vehicles and watercraft.

They include a used speedboat, used water bike, 2017 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2016 Toyota RAV4 and 2010 Nissan Versa.

According to the Command, the combined DPV of all the seized items stands at N365,163,709.

The seizures demonstrate the breadth of the Command’s enforcement activities, ranging from prohibited food products and illicit drugs to vehicles, cigarettes and materials with serious national security implications.

Seme Customs beats 2025 revenue in seven months

While intensifying its enforcement operations, the Command has simultaneously recorded a strong revenue performance.

The Command generated N15,941,258,676.01 in 2025, but within the first seven months of 2026, it had already collected N19,840,280,788.50.

The figure represents an increase of N3,899,022,112.49 over the entire 2025 collection.

The Command attributed the revenue growth to improved compliance, stronger engagement with stakeholders, greater operational efficiency and enhanced facilitation of legitimate trade.

The Area Controller said the revenue performance demonstrates that enforcement and trade facilitation are not contradictory, but complementary elements of modern Customs administration.

He said compliant businesses would continue to receive the necessary support to operate in a predictable and efficient border environment, while smugglers would face sustained enforcement pressure.

AfCFTA, border security in focus

The Seme Area Command also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s economic reform agenda, particularly through the facilitation of legitimate regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The Command said its strategy was to keep legitimate commerce moving while tightening the border against economic saboteurs and transnational criminal networks.

It also acknowledged the contributions of sister security agencies and regulatory bodies to intelligence sharing and joint enforcement operations.

The Command said the illicit drugs and unregistered pharmaceutical products would be formally handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as appropriate.

It further commended the media for its role in keeping the public informed about Customs operations and promoting transparency and accountability.

The Command warned smugglers operating along the Seme corridor that the border would not provide a sanctuary for economic sabotage, illicit trade or cross-border criminality.