BREAKING: FG orders NPA to take over inland dry port functions from shippers’ council

The Federal Government has directed the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to take over the Inland Dry Port (IDP) functions currently handled by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC).

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, made the announcement via a statement on his X page on Thursday.

The directive is part of the Federal Government’s broader restructuring of the port sector following the enactment of the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Act, 2026, which will see the NSC transition into NPERA as the country’s substantive port economic regulator.

What Adegboyega Oyetola is saying

Oyetola said the transfer is aimed at creating a clearer separation between port economic regulation, development and operations.

He said the move would allow NPERA to focus on its regulatory responsibilities while placing the promotion of inland dry ports under the NPA, which is better positioned to integrate the facilities into the country’s wider port infrastructure and operational network.

• “I have directed the transfer of the Inland Dry Port (IDP) functions of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), as part of our efforts to establish a clear separation between port economic regulation, development and operations,” the statement read in part.

Oyetola also directed the immediate constitution of a Ministerial Committee to oversee the transition of the NSC into NPERA following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the NPERA Act, 2026.

He said the new regulator will be responsible for areas including tariffs and charges, competition, licensing, service standards, commercial dispute resolution and protection of port users.

More to follow…