Maritime lawyers have urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to expedite assent to the Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Bill, saying the legislation is crucial to unlocking the full benefits of Nigeria’s ongoing port reforms. The President of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA), Michael Igbokwe, SAN, made the call on Wednesday at the 18th International Maritime Seminar for Justices organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and the National Judicial Institute.
Igbokwe said the bill, which seeks to establish an independent economic regulator for Nigeria’s ports, had been forwarded to the President twice for assent. He appealed to Tinubu to sign the legislation into law without further delay, arguing that its implementation would accelerate reforms in the maritime sector and enable Nigerians to benefit more fully from ongoing port modernisation efforts.
“We call on Mr President to speed up the granting of assent to the Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency Bill, which has come to him twice for assent,” Igbokwe said. He said the proposed legislation would strengthen the regulatory role of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, improve efficiency in port operations and boost investor confidence in the maritime sector.
Igbokwe also called on the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to establish an admiralty registry and further strengthen the court’s Admiralty Division. He said a specialised judicial structure was essential to ensuring the speedy resolution of maritime disputes, in line with the provisions of the Admiralty Jurisdiction Procedure Rules 2023.