News
Fresh price hike looms as NPA plans 15% tariff increase
The Nigerian Ports Authority said it has secured necessary approvals for an upward review of its tariffs by 15 per cent, stressing that this was last reviewed in 1993.
It said the move was necessitated by the urgency of bringing Nigerian ports up to speed with its peers in terms of infrastructure and equipment to ensure competitiveness at the ports.
This came as operators at the ports declared that the implementation of the 15 per cent ports tariff hike would lead to a higher cost of doing business nationwide, as the cost of commodities would rise.
The Managing Director of NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, disclosed the plan on Thursday in Lagos during a stakeholders’ engagement for the approved 15 per cent NPA tariff increment.
Recall that in 2023, the Federal Government, through Ports,” Dantsoho said.
The NPA boss highlighted that globally, port authorities depend on revenue from operations to stay alive to their responsibilities.
Dantsoho explained that the global index of port rating and competitiveness which the international trade community relies on for its choice of countries to do business with, derives its data from how well the aforementioned responsibilities are addressed.
He pointed out that coming at this period of global economic upheaval and scramble for markets, “this belated tariff review borne out of necessity constitutes a critical success factor in Nigeria’s quest to win back cargo handling business and its accompanying benefits including job opportunities it had lost to its maritime neighbours.”
Dantsoho said the high incidence of unreceipted costs due to unduly high human interface, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and functional overlaps resulting from the absence of a Port Community System and its corollary, the National Single Window, is responsible for this contrived falsehood.
“Although long overdue, a quick win benefit of the NPA’s tariff review for stakeholders is the immediate boost it gives to the authority to fast track the commencement of actual works on its concluded port reconstruction and modernisation plans,” he said.
He said that the tariff review provides the necessary guarantees to fund the acquisition and urgent deployment of the information communications technology backbone of the PCS which is the precursor to the implementation of the NSW.
The NPA boss added that the move would also increase revenue generation arising from the review buoys the authority’s capacity for critical maintenance works to open up the eastern ports for increased vessel and cargo traffic such as the reconstruction of collapsed Escravos breakwaters and challenged aspects of Rivers, Onne and Calabar ports.
Reacting to the development, the Head of the Department of Shipping and Terminals at the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Mr Ukochukwu Nnadi, said the 15 per cent hike in ports tariff would lead to a rise in the cost of doing business nationwide.
“Definitely it will add to the cost of doing business because every kobo added to doing any particular thing, no matter what the thing is, will be passed to the customers, and the customers in this case are the stakeholders.
“As the NPA wants to add cost, even if it’s a kobo to their changes to the operators, it will be passed to customers sooner or later; it is as easy as that. So it is going to add to the cost of doing business,” he said.
Also speaking, the National Protocol Officer of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Mr Riwane Amuni, said the hike in tariff would add to the cost of doing business.
He noted that the reason why operators are silent about it is because it’s been a long time since the NPA reviewed its tariffs.
“It will definitely add to the cost of doing business because it is an additional tax on the masses. But the reason people are not really talking about this is because it has been a long time since they increased tariffs. That’s why the noise is not much.
“But all things being equal, it is still an additional cost. Because all these things you are seeing, like the additional tariff or input, will tell on the customers because whatever the importers spend they will put it on the masses,” he said.
Earlier during the event with the NPA, a stakeholder, Joshua Asanga, agreed with the increase, adding that the value of NPA’s present tariff had since been suppressed by inflation
Asanga listed port management liabilities like wages, fuel, and other areas of expenditure as having adjusted upwards without a commensurate rise in NPA charges for over thirty years
However, the NPA later said the upward review would not affect item rates such as the throughput and lease fees, rents on NPA landed properties, MOWCA levy, service boat operations, and hourly towage and mooring charges.
It said port cost should not be taken for NPA charges as the port cost covers charges by other government agencies operating the port.
Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, along with twenty-one other former members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), elected into the Assembly has officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), following a major realignment of political stakeholders across the state.
The defection of the twenty-two lawmakers has effectively transformed the Delta State House of Assembly into a one-party legislature, as the remaining seven members were originally elected on the ticket of the APC.
Announcing the development on Tuesday during the resumption of plenary after the Easter break, the Speaker stated that the decision was the result of extensive consultations with their constituents and political leaders throughout the state.
He emphasized that the move aligned with Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
While expressing appreciation to members for their contributions so far, Guwor urged the House to ensure the completion of all pending bills as the second legislative session nears its end.
He noted that the political shift towards the APC was in response to the realignment of stakeholders and the desire to align with the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
“The mass defection of members of the Peoples Democratic Party, led by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, to the All Progressives Congress was made in the overall interest of Deltans and the state,” the Speaker said.
He explained that the decision followed extensive consultations held on April 23 and which cumulated on the official reception on April 28, 2025, at the Government House and the Cenotaph, respectively.
He said: “We are fully committed to partnering with the Federal Government to deliver greater development to Deltans.
“On behalf of the House, I commend the courage and visionary leadership of our Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, in making this strategic and timely decision.
“As a legislative body, we stand with His Excellency in this endeavour. This renewed partnership between the state and Federal Government must be supported and allowed to flourish, so that we can begin to enjoy its benefits in the shortest possible time.”
He informed the House that he had received twenty-two letters (including his own) notifying of the change of party affiliation from the PDP to the APC.
The defection, he said, was driven by instability within the PDP’s national leadership and factional divisions within the South-South Zonal Executive Committee, leading to internal conflicts and disunity within the party.
Citing Section 109(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Speaker affirmed the constitutional basis for the defection.
“With this action, the Delta State House of Assembly is now composed entirely of members from the All Progressives Congress. We thank our constituents for endorsing this progressive course of action”.
A motion to adopt the letters of party change was moved by the Majority Leader, Hon. Emeka Nwaobi, and seconded by Hon. Ferguson Onwo, who represents Isoko South II.
Speaking to journalists after the plenary, the Majority Leader, Hon Emeka Nwaobi reiterated that the defection was prompted by the crisis within the PDP.
“Our decision was based on the instability at the national level and the factionalization at the South-South level. Consequently, we chose to move to the ruling All Progressives Congress, in accordance with Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended,” he said.
Governors Hyacinth Alia of Benue and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara have declined the invitation from the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, casting doubt on its constitutionality and legitimacy.
The committee called the governors and their state assemblies on Friday due to alleged constitutional infractions and governance shortcomings, according to a statement released by Chooks Oko, its head of media.
Legislative issues and deteriorating security conditions in both states have lawmakers looking for answers.
The suspension of 13 lawmakers who are thought to be against Governor Alia is at the center of the dispute in Benue.
The governor’s decision to suspend Justice Maurice Ikpambese, the state’s chief judge, caused a political controversy and charges of governmental overreach, which the suspended members had criticized.
A group of nine lawmakers who were suspended earlier still maintain their legitimacy and have called on Governor Lawal to show them the budget until 2025. The state now has a parallel legislative system as a result of this development.
Additionally, both states are battling long-standing security issues. Heavy-armed bandits continue to besieging Zamfara, committing extortion, livestock rustling, and mass kidnappings, especially in rural areas.
Deadly conflicts between armed herders and farmers continue to occur in Benue, endangering both human life and food production.
Prominent officials from both state governments have rejected the invitation, claiming that the National Assembly lacks the constitutional authority to call governors to discuss state issues.
Hyacinth Dajoh, the speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, played down the news, claiming he had not yet received an official invitation. “It’s all a social media issue. Maybe the letter may reach my office on Monday, but as of now, I cannot respond to it,” he said.
Governors are answerable to their state assemblies and residents, not the National Assembly, according to Zamfara State PDP Publicity Secretary Halliru Andi, who denounced the House committee’s move. “No amount of intimidation from so-called politically twisted committees or courts can derail our leadership,” Andi said
In the meantime, Zamfara’s factional lawmakers asserted that they had discovered schemes to attack them. “We are aware of plans to attack us and our families. We have a recording of the planned attack and have alerted security agencies in case anything happens to us,” they revealed in a statement.
The PDP and the Austin Agada-led APC group are among the opposition parties in Benue that have stated their support for the National Assembly’s intervention. Political analysts warn that the matter could lead to a protracted legal and constitutional battle between the two state governments and federal parliamentarians.
It’s still unclear as of this writing if the National Assembly would try to execute its summons or if the hearing will go forward as planned.
-
Opinion5 hours agoRIVERS, WIKE, FUBARA, AND THE WAY FORWARD
-
News15 hours agoMinistry denies awarding N13bn contracts without due process
-
News15 hours agoFULL STEPS: How to check 2025 JAMB results
-
News9 hours agoVDM may be released on Tuesday
-
Politics4 hours agoJust in: Delta PDP Reps members defect to APC
-
News15 hours agoCourt halts Abuja multi-million naira market project
-
News24 hours agoCourt delivers another judgement in favor of Amaewhule, others on Rivers Assembly crisis
-
News6 hours agoCourt bans Nnamdi Kanu’s in-law from 3 proceedings over live streaming