Senate Repasses Ports Regulatory Bill, Clears Key Agriculture Measures

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday passed the Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency Bill, 2026 during plenary in Abuja, following a fresh review prompted by legal and procedural concerns.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the passage of the bill followed a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, and seconded by the Minority Leader, Abba Moro.

Lawmakers had earlier rescinded their previous approval of the bill, which had already been transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.

At the Committee of the Whole, Bamidele informed senators that a detailed review by the Ministry of Justice uncovered fundamental issues requiring fresh legislative action. He explained that a technical committee—comprising members of the Senate, the House of Representatives, and legal drafting experts from the Directorate of Legal Services—was convened to address the concerns.

According to him, the committee was tasked with resolving the issues identified during the scrutiny process and recommending corrections for reconsideration by the Senate.

Relying on Orders 1(b) and 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders, lawmakers formally rescinded their earlier decision and recommitted the bill to the Committee of the Whole for comprehensive review. The bill was subsequently considered clause by clause and passed after extensive deliberation.

In a related development, the Senate also approved three agriculture-focused bills: the National Food Reserve Agency (Establishment) Bill 2026, the National Cassava Policy Coordination Council Bill, and the National Rice Development Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill 2026.

Their passage followed consideration of a report by the Committee on Agricultural Production, Services and Rural Development, chaired by Saliu Mustapha.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu has forwarded 15 nominees for the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), chaired by Salamatu Suleiman, to the Senate for confirmation.

NAN reports that Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has referred the nominees to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, with instructions to report back within two weeks.