How long does it take before someone can be assessed on their work? Can they always blame equipment for being a sitting duck? No, says Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola. Therefore, on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, recognising that some of the electricity equipment Nigeria needs has been sitting in its own ports since 2007, Oyetola directed the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and terminal operators to clear hundreds of those containers, following a presidential order.
The directive shows the administrator at work. There is nothing to build here, only a blockage to remove by getting Customs, the Ministry of Power and port operators to move together.
Supporters, including the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), credit Oyetola’s background as an insurance executive and former Osun governor for tighter controls and better coordination. PEBEC gave the ministry top marks for maritime ease of doing business.
The ministry says agency revenue rose from N700.79 billion in 2023 to N1.83 trillion in 2025, about 160 per cent, which it attributes to port automation, tighter oversight, and fewer leaks. NIMASA reports no piracy incidents in Nigerian waters for four straight years, and the Deep Blue Project helped end war-risk surcharges on cargo ships. On the Lagos port corridor, operational reports show the e-call-up truck scheduling system has eased the Apapa gridlock.
Oyetola also led the drafting of Nigeria’s first National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy, and in June 2026 President Bola Tinubu signed the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Act, giving port regulation a statutory footing after nearly two decades of effort.
Industry critics give the other side. They say the revenue gain owes partly to currency devaluation and higher tariffs rather than bigger cargo volumes, and that inland waterway safety, ageing vessels, and delayed legislation keep the sector below its potential.
Both readings can hold, as some other commentators have pointed out. A clearing order proves a minister can move stuck cargo, and the sector’s deeper potential is a larger test. Until those containers leave the ports and are counted as more than expected, all that can be done is wait.