Port offenders face ₦20m fines as NPERA steps up enforcement

LAGOS, Nigeria — Organisations that repeatedly violate port regulations in Nigeria could face fines of up to ₦20 million (about US$15,024) and prosecution as the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) increases enforcement across the country’s ports.

Kanyi Daily reports that NPERA Director-General Pius Akutah disclosed the enforcement measures in Lagos on Tuesday during a meeting with the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria (SCAN), led by its President, Moses Ebosele.

Akutah said NPERA now has stronger legal powers to sanction violations than the previous regulatory framework under the Nigerian Shippers’ Council. He said the law provides for a minimum fine of ₦500,000 (about US$376) for an individual first offender and a maximum corporate penalty of ₦20 million, with the agency able to increase penalties for repeated infractions.

“In the past, there was no such potency in our law, so we couldn’t enforce anything because the penalties were too insignificant to deter any infraction. That’s not the case now, as the least penalty in that law is a N500,000 fine for an individual first offender. The maximum penalty for a corporation is N20 million, while the agency has the power to increase the penalty where a company continues to commit infractions,” Akutah said.

The agency said its approach would combine enforcement with standard-setting, automation and digitisation of port processes. Akutah said the objective was to make compliance easier for operators while maintaining established standards.

“The idea is not to upset the system and make it chaotic or abnormal but rather to create a deterrent regime through the provisions of the law. With the fear of the consequences, they will play by the rules naturally,” he said.

Akutah said NPERA would not prevent other government agencies from carrying out statutory checks at the ports but would expect such activities to avoid unnecessary delays in cargo clearance. He said greater automation and reduced human intervention could streamline processes and lower operating costs.

He also distinguished NPERA’s responsibilities from those of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), saying NPA handles port infrastructure development while NPERA is responsible for economic regulation. Akutah linked more efficient port operations to the Federal Government’s US$1 trillion economy target for 2030, saying the goal would depend on wider business activity as well as government revenue.