Minister directs urgent evacuation of stranded containers following Tinubu’s directive
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has ordered the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and terminal operators across the country to urgently facilitate the evacuation of hundreds of containers carrying critical electricity equipment stranded at Nigerian seaports for nearly two decades.
Some of the containers, which have remained at the ports since 2007, are expected to be released following a presidential directive aimed at removing longstanding administrative and bureaucratic bottlenecks preventing their clearance.
Oyetola’s directive requires 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 abandoned cargo.
The minister’s position was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Adviser, Dr Bolaji Akinola.
He stressed that effective collaboration among government agencies and port stakeholders was crucial to the successful implementation of President Bola Tinubu’s directive.
Consequently, he instructed the NPA and terminal operators to prioritise the provision of logistics, cargo positioning and handling arrangements necessary 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,” Oyetola said.
The minister reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to improving port efficiency, reducing cargo dwell time and ensuring that the country’s maritime infrastructure supports critical national development priorities.
He maintained that Nigerian seaports should function as strategic gateways for economic growth, industrial expansion and infrastructure development rather than become holding points for cargoes whose release is essential to national progress.
Oyetola further urged all stakeholders to sustain the momentum of the clearance exercise, noting that the timely implementation of the presidential directive would demonstrate the government’s determination to eliminate institutional bottlenecks and accelerate the delivery of critical infrastructure projects.
