Sustainable fishing: NPERA seeks stronger port regulation, cold-chain investment

Stanley Ihedigbo

Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) has identified effective port economic regulation as a critical component of efforts to promote sustainable fishing, strengthen food security, improve coastal livelihoods and accelerate Nigeria’s blue-economy development.

Speaking at the Maritime Correspondents Organization of Nigeria (MARCON) event themed “Sustainable fishing in Nigeria: Pathways to growth, food security and coastal livelihoods,” held in Lagos, Director-General/ Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA), Dr. Akutah Pius Ukeyima, who made a presentation titled, “Port economic regulation as a catalyst for sustainable Fishing and Blue-Economy Development in Nigeria. ”

According to the presentation, Nigeria’s maritime economy extends beyond shipping and cargo handling to encompass fisheries, aquaculture, coastal commerce, marine services, logistics and tourism.

He noted that the fisheries sector operates through an interconnected value chain involving fishing inputs, harvesting, landing, storage, processing, transportation, domestic distribution and export.

“Although many artisanal fishers do not operate directly through major seaports, the presentation explained that the wider port and maritime logistics system remains important to the fisheries sector”, the agency CEO explained.

He said that fishing vessels and equipment often depend on imported components, while processors require machinery, packaging materials and refrigeration equipment.

Seafood exporters, he added, also depend on efficient cargo handling, documentation and transportation systems.

“Consequently, the efficiency and cost of maritime logistics directly affect the competitiveness of Nigeria’s fisheries sector,” he stated.

He identified high input costs, inadequate cold-chain infrastructure, post-harvest losses, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, limited access to finance and governance constraints among the major challenges confronting the sector.

The regulatory agency boss stressed that increasing fish production alone would not be sufficient to transform the industry, noting that Nigeria must also improve the infrastructure, logistics and business environment through which fish and other seafood products reach consumers and markets.

Port regulation and fisheries development

NPERA CEO explained that port economic regulation provides a framework for managing tariffs, charges, service standards, competition, market access, commercial conduct and dispute resolution.

Represented by Deputy Director, Standards Service Division, Mr. Waheed Olagunju, he further noted that relevant regulatory functions include establishing tariff guidelines, monitoring service standards, protecting competition, preventing abuse of dominant market positions, resolving disputes, promoting efficiency, reducing the cost of doing business, encouraging private-sector investment and monitoring concession agreements.

He further explained that the transition from the former Nigerian Shippers’ Council economic-regulatory role to NPERA in 2026 provides an opportunity to strengthen Nigeria’s port economic regulatory framework.

Under the new framework, he said, NPERA’s responsibilities include areas such as tariffs and charges, licensing, service standards, fair competition, commercial dispute resolution, trade facilitation and protection of port users, while the Nigerian Ports Authority retains its infrastructure and landlord responsibilities.

He argued that transparent, predictable, evidence-based and coordinated economic regulation could reduce friction across the fisheries value chain, promote investment and trade, improve food security and strengthen coastal livelihoods.

Conversely, he warned that excessive or unclear charges, weak service standards, fragmented procedures and avoidable delays could increase costs and undermine the competitiveness of Nigerian fish products.
Reducing logistics costs

According to him, the price of fish is determined not only by harvesting but also by fuel, vessel maintenance, landing, ice, storage, transportation, inspection, documentation and port services.

He, therefore, advocated transparent tariffs, publication of approved charges, monitoring of billing practices and effective dispute-resolution mechanisms to reduce unnecessary costs and billing disputes.

The regulatory agency Director General, also highlighted the importance of improving the movement of perishable fish products.

“Because fish is highly time-sensitive, delays during inspection, documentation, cargo release and transportation can result in spoilage and reduced product quality”, he further stressed.

He consequently recommended measurable service standards covering documentation, inspection coordination, reefer handling, power availability, gate operations and complaint resolution.

Cold-chain investment
NPERA boss also identified cold storage, ice plants, reefer facilities and temperature-controlled transportation as essential infrastructure for reducing post-harvest losses.

He said predictable tariffs, concession arrangements, access conditions and effective dispute-resolution mechanisms could create a more attractive environment for private-sector investment in cold-chain facilities.

The agency head further stressed the need for fair competition and investment across the fisheries value chain, including investment in vessels, processing, refrigeration, logistics, packaging, export infrastructure and distribution.

He further said that regulation should ensure fair access to essential services, prevent discriminatory practices and address abuse of dominant market positions while preserving incentives for investment and improved service delivery.

Digitalisation, exports and regional trade

He identified digitalisation and interoperability among government systems as another major priority.

According to the NPERA CEO, efficient documentation, certification, inspection, cargo handling and customs processes are essential for seafood exports and regional trade.

He recommended greater interoperability between port, customs, maritime, fisheries, health and other government systems to reduce duplication, improve traceability and accelerate cargo clearance.

The agency boss also cited the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Single Window framework as an important reference point for improving maritime trade facilitation.

Five pillars for blue-economy development

Ukeyima identified five principal ways through which port economic regulation can support Nigeria’s blue-economy objectives.

“These are efficiency, predictability, inclusion, accountability and sustainability.
Efficiency would involve reducing the time and cost associated with moving fisheries products, while predictability would provide fishers, processors, exporters and investors with greater certainty.

“Inclusion would ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises, cooperatives, artisanal fisheries enterprises and emerging exporters are considered in regulatory processes. Accountability would be strengthened through published charges, service standards, complaint procedures and performance data. Sustainability, the presentation added, would require reducing waste and ensuring that trade facilitation does not inadvertently facilitate the movement of illegally harvested fish,” he mentioned.

Seven regulatory priorities
NPERA Director General outlined several priorities for strengthening the relationship between port regulation and fisheries development.

“They include transparent and predictable tariffs, measurable service standards, digitalisation and interoperability, a coordinated fisheries logistics framework, cold-chain and landing-site connectivity, stronger inter-agency coordination, and green and climate-resilient ports.

“On tariffs, the agency called for all regulated charges to have clear service descriptions, responsible providers, applicable conditions and effective dates, ” he further explained.

He also recommended that tariff reviews be based on evidence and stakeholder consultation.

On service standards, he proposed monitoring indicators such as vessel turnaround time, cargo dwell time, reefer availability, gate processing, documentation turnaround and complaint resolution.

The agency boss also proposed the development of a fisheries logistics window that could provide standardised documentation, coordinated inspection procedures, priority processing where justified and escalation mechanisms for time-sensitive fisheries and temperature-controlled cargo.

Linking ports with coastal communities

He emphasised that major port reforms should be linked to improvements at coastal landing sites and should benefit small-scale and artisanal operators who may not directly use major seaports.

Such operators, he noted, depend on affordable ice, fuel, equipment, transportation, finance and access to markets.

He, therefore, called for fisheries logistics planning that connects landing sites and production areas with processing centres, cold stores, inland waterways, roads, rail, ports, airports and markets.

He also advocated cooperative development, improved access to finance, skills development and stronger market-information systems.

Towards greener ports
Ukeyima further called for environmental sustainability to become an increasingly important component of port and concession standards.

He recommended energy-efficient cold storage, renewable energy, improved waste management, cleaner cargo-handling equipment and emissions-reduction measures as part of efforts to build green and climate-resilient ports.

Policy recommendations

He recommended that Nigeria adopt a whole-value-chain approach to port economic regulation by recognising fisheries as a time-sensitive and strategically important economic activity.

He also called for the continuation of transparent, evidence-based and consultative tariff-setting and charge-review processes.

“Other recommendations include accelerating interoperability between maritime, port, customs and fisheries digital systems; developing a national fisheries logistics and cold-chain investment plan; strengthening traceability and risk-based controls to combat illegal fishing while facilitating legitimate trade; and using concession and licensing arrangements to encourage investment in cold-chain, digital and green infrastructure”, he further emphasised.

The agency head also proposed the development of a public dashboard containing selected port-performance indicators covering trade facilitation, service quality and fisheries logistics, while protecting commercially sensitive information.

Sustainable logistics, sustainable fishing
He concluded that Nigeria’s ambition to develop a sustainable blue economy would depend not only on the availability of marine resources but also on the ability to build institutions and infrastructure that allow those resources to generate value efficiently, inclusively and sustainably.

He described port economic regulation as an important part of that architecture.

According to him, effective economic regulation can reduce avoidable costs, improve service standards, promote fair competition, facilitate investment and strengthen market access.

He added that the transition to the NPERA framework provides an opportunity to deepen this approach.

The practical measures of success, he stated, should include fewer avoidable delays, more transparent charges, better service quality, stronger cold-chain investment, improved market access, lower waste and greater value retained by legitimate businesses and coastal communities.

His central message was that sustainable fishing requires sustainable logistics, while sustainable logistics requires sound economic regulation.

He said aligning port regulation with fisheries sustainability, digital trade facilitation, investment promotion and coastal livelihood objectives could enable Nigeria’s ports to serve not only as gateways for cargo but also as critical infrastructure for food security, trade, employment and a resilient national blue economy.