The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, has directed the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and seaport terminal operators to provide operational support for the evacuation of hundreds of containers of critical electricity equipment stranded at Nigerian ports for nearly two decades.
The directive is aimed at facilitating the clearance of the abandoned cargo, some of which have remained at the nation’s seaports since 2007, following a presidential order to remove the administrative and bureaucratic bottlenecks delaying their release.
Oyetola, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Adviser, Dr. Bolaji Akinola, instructed the NPA and terminal operators to work closely with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Federal Ministry of Power to ensure the immediate evacuation of the equipment.
He emphasised that effective coordination among the relevant government agencies and port stakeholders would be crucial to implementing the presidential directive.
The Minister consequently directed the NPA and terminal operators to prioritise logistics, cargo positioning and handling arrangements required to facilitate the exercise without further delay.
“Mr. President’s directive is clear, and our responsibility is to ensure its effective implementation. NPA and terminal operators are to give this assignment the highest priority, work seamlessly with Customs and the Ministry of Power, and provide every necessary operational support to achieve the desired result”, he said.
Oyetola reaffirmed the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy’s commitment to improving port efficiency, reducing cargo dwell time and ensuring that the country’s maritime infrastructure supports critical national development objectives.
He noted that Nigerian seaports should function as strategic gateways for economic growth, industrial development and infrastructure delivery rather than become holding points for cargoes whose release is essential to national progress.
The Minister further called on all s stakeholders to sustain the momentum of the clearance exercise, stressing that the timely implementation of the presidential directive would demonstrate the government’s determination to tackle institutional bottlenecks and accelerate the delivery of critical infrastructure projects.
He maintained that the successful evacuation of the equipment would require seamless collaboration among the NPA, Customs, terminal operators and the Ministry of Power.