Dr. Pius Akutah, MON

The maritime and logistics landscape has evolved significantly, and our regulatory framework must evolve with it. The Nigerian Shippers' Council, established in 1978, has played an important role in protecting the interests of shippers. However, today’s trade environment requires a stronger and more comprehensive regulatory institution.

Our vision is to build a modern regulator that promotes efficiency, transparency, fair competition, and sustainable growth across Nigeria’s port and logistics ecosystem. The proposed Nigerian Shipping and Port Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Bill represents a key step in this direction. Once it receives Presidential Assent, it will strengthen the Council’s capacity to regulate economic activities within the port sector, promote fair competition, monitor compliance, protect stakeholders, and support national economic objectives under the Marine and Blue Economy agenda.

 Ultimately, the goal is to create a regulatory environment that attracts investment, facilitates trade, and enhances Nigeria’s competitiveness in regional and global supply chains.

Inland Dry Ports are essential to building an efficient and integrated national logistics system. They enable cargo to be cleared closer to importers and exporters in the hinterland, reducing the need for businesses to travel to seaports for cargo processing. This improves efficiency across the entire supply chain.

 Importers can receive goods closer to their businesses, while exporters can move products from Inland Dry Ports through the seaports to international markets.

Beyond efficiency, Inland Dry Ports stimulate economic activity in inland regions, create jobs, reduce congestion at seaports, lower logistics costs, and support industrial development across the country. As Nigeria seeks to expand non-oil exports, Inland Dry Ports will play a critical role in connecting local producers to global markets.

The existing Nigerian Shippers' Council Act was enacted decades ago, and while it has served its purpose, the industry has evolved significantly since then. The proposed legislation is designed to modernise the regulatory framework and align it with current realities in global trade and logistics.

Once enacted, it will strengthen the Council’s mandate by enhancing market oversight, promoting fair competition, improving regulatory compliance, and creating a more transparent and predictable operating environment within the port sector.

This is particularly important as Africa moves toward deeper economic integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area. AfCFTA represents a market of over 1.4 billion people with a combined GDP exceeding US$3 trillion, creating significant opportunities for trade expansion and investment across the continent.

Nigeria must position itself to fully benefit from these opportunities through stronger institutions and efficient trade facilitation systems.

Rail remains one of the most efficient, safe, and cost-effective modes of transporting cargo over long distances. Currently, a large proportion of cargo from Nigerian seaports is moved by road. This places significant pressure on road infrastructure, increases congestion, raises logistics costs, and contributes to accidents and insecurity.

A modern logistics system must be multimodal, integrating seaports, rail, roads, and Inland Dry Ports into a seamless national network.

As the port economic regulator, our responsibility now extends beyond protecting shippers. It includes ensuring that cargo moves efficiently, safely, and competitively from ports to businesses, industries, and final consumers.

Strengthening rail infrastructure and connectivity is therefore critical to reducing the cost of doing business and improving national competitiveness.

AfCFTA presents one of the most significant economic opportunities for Africa in decades. To fully benefit, African countries must continue harmonising trade laws, customs procedures, and regulatory frameworks.

There is also a need to strengthen intellectual property protection to encourage innovation and safeguard investments across the continent. Investment frameworks must be further improved to attract foreign direct investment and create a competitive environment for businesses operating across African markets.

However, trade liberalisation alone is not enough. It must be supported by strong institutions, efficient processes, and predictable regulatory systems that make cross-border trade faster and more transparent.

Port competitiveness depends on efficient infrastructure, effective regulation, and seamless logistics.

First, continuous investment in modern port infrastructure is essential, including road and rail connectivity, cargo handling systems, and logistics technology. Second, a strong and predictable regulatory framework is required to ensure transparency, attract investment, and maintain fair competition. Third, digitalisation and cybersecurity are becoming increasingly important as global trade systems become more technology-driven.

Regional cooperation also plays a critical role. Under AfCFTA, African countries must collaborate more closely on trade facilitation, enforcement, and logistics integration.

Ultimately, Nigeria’s competitiveness will depend on how efficiently cargo moves through its ports and how predictable the overall business environment becomes.

An efficient logistics system requires clear legal and operational frameworks governing the entire transport chain. Whether cargo moves by road or rail, there must be a well-defined liability regime covering the movement of goods from seaports to Inland Dry Ports and final destinations. This ensures clarity for shipping companies, logistics providers, and cargo owners, while improving accountability across the value chain.

There is also a need to harmonise existing legal frameworks governing the carriage of goods to remove uncertainty and improve efficiency. Stakeholder engagement remains central to this process, as sustainable reforms require collaboration between government, regulators, and private sector actors.

Ultimately, the objective of the Nigerian Shippers' Council is to strengthen trade efficiency, support economic growth, and improve Nigeria’s position within regional and global supply chains.