7 Functions of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)

The Nigerian Ports Authority was actually established for a particular purpose and the purpose was to regulate the activities of the participants of Nigerian Ports Authority, that is, the  operators of the ports. in other words, the Nigerian Ports Authority was designed to govern, as well as control the activities within the Nigerian Ports.

As a federal government agency, it was empowered to oversea all operations within Nigerian Ports, some of these ports include, the Apapa Port and Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, and Calabar Port, and Delta Port. Others are Rivers Port situated at Port Harcourt and Onne Port.

The Nigerian Ports Authority is working under the direct supervision of the Federal Ministry of Transport, as well as, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council. However, since the establishment of the Nigerian Ports Authority, there have been better relationship among the operators, and as a result, there have been also better turn out of activities within the ports in the country.

Through the activities of the Nigerian Ports Authority, the ports within Nigeria have been more competitive, and as a result has helped increased the national resources. Yet in an attempt to increase productivity in the Nigerian Ports Authority, the federal government has decided to commercialize Nigerian Ports Authority.

One of the major functions of the Nigerian Ports Authority was to administer the operations within Nigerian Ports, and this include administration of water, as well as the land within the Nigerian Ports limits. The Nigerian Ports Authority was empowered to oversea every activity within the ports limits as permitted by the Act that saw to its establishment.

Therefore, it was under its power to making sure that its statutory responsibilities and carried out efficiently and effectively with a view to making sure that, the purpose for which they Nigerian Ports Authority was established is actualized.

For the purpose of meeting the mandate of the Nigerian Ports Authority, there is need for the operational infrastructure within the Nigerian Ports to be up to date, and possibly upgraded.

Therefore, it is incumbent on the part of the Nigerian Ports Authority to ensure that, every operational infrastructure within the ports limits is developed.

Beside developing operational infrastructure within the ports, the Nigerian Ports Authority is expected to undertake quality planning of these operational infrastructure within the ports before embarking on developing these infrastructure, because when there is such quality planning, there is bound to be proper development of operational infrastructure thus, the statutory responsibilities of the Nigerian Ports Authority would be made easy.

3. The Nigerian Ports Authority Sets Benchmark for Tariff Structure

It is the function of the Nigerian Ports Authority to making sure that, benchmark for tariff structure is set. It is true that there is a kind of scheme of duties, a revenue tariff imposed by a federal government agency, such as the Nigerian Ports Authority on goods imported into Nigeria and goods exported out of Nigeria, and a good number of products used in Nigeria particularly, foreign goods are coming through the Nigerian Ports, they are shipped into the country through water, and there are some locally made goods from Nigeria, which have gained market share overseas, and these goods leaved Nigeria shore through Nigeria Ports.Therefore, since the purpose of establishing Nigerian Ports Authority was to administer the operations of the Nigerian Ports, it is therefore, a part of Nigerian Ports Authority function to set benchmark for tariff structure imposed on goods.

4. The Nigerian Ports Authority Undertakes Nautical And Harbour Operation

The major function of the Nigerian Ports Authority as we all know, revolves around the administration of the operations within the Nigerian Ports limits, and this include the water and the land.

Therefore, if water operation is involved, it simply means that, the Nigerian Ports Authority is responsible for operations, such as nautical operations, which has to do with water navigation and shipping, as well as other operations like hydroelectric survey. This is viral to the operations of the Nigerian Ports Authority.

5.The Nigerian Ports Authority Maintains Safety and Security Within the Nigerian Ports

Security of lives and goods of every participants in the Ports is very vital, it is the responsibility of the Nigerian Ports Authority to ensure that there is safety in the Nigerian Ports. It is the function of the Nigerian Ports Authority to maintain security and ensure safety within the Nigerian Ports limits particularly, where there is heavy duty or the busiest area of the Nigerian Ports.

However, whatever the case may be, without the maintenance of order, security and safety in the Ports, the Nigerian Ports Authority perhaps, may not actualize the goal and objective of establishing the Nigerian Ports Authority, therefore, maintenance of security and safety is of utmost important in the Nigerian Ports.

Huge responsibility on the part of the Nigerian Ports Authority to enable it succeeds, one of such duties is the enactment of laws and regulations with a view to regulate the operations of the operators of the Nigerian Ports.

Without such regulations and laws which defined the operations within the Nigerian Ports limits, operators are likely to go out of the way to infringe either the other operators within the Nigerian Ports or the Nigerian Ports Authority.

So since the regulations are necessary and important, it is therefore, expected the Nigerian Ports Authority to enact regulations that will help it regulates the activities carried out within the Nigerian Ports limits.

One thing is to enact bye laws and regulations, another thing is to follow such regulations up, monitor the operators’ compliance to such regulations and laws, possibly these laws and regulations have to be enforced.

 However, since the establishment of the Nigerian Ports Authority, there have been better relationship among the operators, and as a result, there have been also better turn out of activities within the ports in the country.