FCC warns MDAs of stricter penalties as NPA supports reforms

The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has cautioned Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that they will face stricter penalties for breaches of the Federal Character Act, while the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has committed to backing the Commission’s reforms.

The warning was issued during an interactive meeting between NPA management and members of the FCC Committee on Works, Transport and Aviation at the Commission’s Abuja headquarters.

Hon. Peter Eze, chair of the committee, stated that the NPA leadership received briefings on the FCC’s new compliance framework, updated operational guidelines, and sanctions for MDAs that do not adhere to Federal Character principles.

According to him, the engagement was aimed at assessing the NPA’s level of compliance while strengthening collaboration to promote fairness, equity and inclusiveness in the public service. “The essence of this engagement is to evaluate the performance of the Federal Character Commission’s mandate and to ensure that, going forward, there is no room for non‑compliance with the Federal Character principles,” Eze said.

He added that the commission has implemented tighter monitoring mechanisms and harsher penalties to guarantee full compliance across government bodies. “The major takeaway is that they were appropriately briefed on the new reforms of the FCC under the leadership of the Executive Chairman, Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran.”

He added, “They have been informed about our new rules, the penalties for violations and the measures we will take against any MDA that goes against the Commission’s mandate.” In reply, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, Managing Director and CEO of the NPA, reiterated the Authority’s commitment to full compliance with Federal Character principles.

Dantsoho called the engagement productive, emphasizing that collaboration among government institutions is vital for effective service delivery and national development.
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