The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Nigeria’s Port Economic Regulator, has directed shipping companies, shipping agents, and terminal operators at the nation’s ports to suspend any planned review or upward adjustment of their charges until they have fully consulted and engaged relevant stakeholders.
In a statement, the Council clarified that the recent tariff adjustments were approved strictly in line with its statutory mandate. It stressed that all reviews followed a transparent, structured, and clearly defined regulatory process.
According to the NSC, the process involved extensive technical and consultative engagements with affected service providers to assess cost drivers, operational realities, investment commitments, and regulatory compliance. The Council noted that these engagements did not amount to automatic approvals but were part of a broader evaluative framework.
Final decisions, the Council explained, were reached only after rigorous internal technical and financial assessments, guided by empirical data, regulatory benchmarks, and prevailing economic conditions.
Notwithstanding these approvals, the Council has now instructed shipping companies, agents, and terminal operators to halt any proposed charge reviews until they have adequately consulted their stakeholders. It warned that any port service provider that disrupts port operations or violates regulatory directives would face strict sanctions.
The NSC reiterated that transparency, fairness, and stakeholder participation remain core principles of port economic regulation in Nigeria.
The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Council, Dr. Pius Akutah (MON), cautioned that the NSC is empowered under relevant regulatory frameworks to apply appropriate sanctions against defaulting operators. These include enforcement measures against service providers that implement tariff reviews without proper stakeholder engagement.
While encouraging constructive dialogue and compliance, Dr. Akutah warned that operators who ignore the directive should be prepared for decisive regulatory action.
He reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to protecting port users’ interests, promoting fair competition, and ensuring a stable, balanced, and predictable business environment in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
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