The Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) is set to fully enforce the NPERA Act 2026, including provisions for fines and criminal prosecution, as part of efforts to curb corruption, strengthen compliance and improve efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NPERA, Dr. Akutah Pius, MON, disclosed this in Lagos when the Chief Executive Officer of the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN), Cecilia Muller Torbrand, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Agency’s headquarters.
Akutah said the new legislation represented a significant shift from the former Nigerian Shippers’ Council Act, which he described as largely persuasive and lacking adequate enforcement powers. He said the NPERA Act provides stronger deterrence against corrupt and unethical practices relating to freight, tariffs, charges and service delivery at Nigerian ports.
According to him, NPERA will establish a dedicated Enforcement Department, supported by trained security personnel under the Agency’s control, to strengthen compliance and safeguard the enforcement process against compromise. He also disclosed plans to strengthen the Agency’s partnership with MACN and establish a functional Help Desk with clear escalation channels for reporting infractions.
Responding, MACN CEO Cecilia Muller Torbrand said the organisation was ready to support NPERA’s efforts to make maritime trade more efficient, describing MACN as a partner and mediator between the public and private sectors. She said the global network, comprising more than 200 maritime companies committed to combating corruption, could provide intelligence, experience and international best practices to support port reforms.
Also speaking, MACN’s Nigeria representative and CEO of the Convention on Business Integrity, Soji Apampa, said MACN’s Collective Action approach had contributed to reducing corrupt demands at Nigerian ports through anonymous incident reporting, joint risk assessments and collaboration with government agencies and private-sector operators.
Apampa identified the Port Standing Task Team and Help Desk as some of the outcomes of MACN’s advocacy, saying the organisation was prepared to provide NPERA with data, training and global experience to strengthen enforcement and make the reporting and escalation process more transparent and measurable.
Akutah welcomed MACN’s commitment, saying NPERA would deepen the partnership to advance integrity, efficiency and competitiveness in Nigeria’s maritime sector. He added that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, had helped address inter-agency rivalry, creating a more collaborative environment for the development of the sector.
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