Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola has said the Federal Government’s planned seaport modernization programme will improve capacity, reduce cargo delays and lower logistics costs across Nigeria’s transport system.
Oyetola spoke through a representative at the 2026 Transport Industry Summit organized by the Transport Correspondents Association of Nigeria in Lagos.
He said ports and waterways had to function as integrated parts of a broader transport chain connecting roads, rail, warehouses and distribution networks.
The minister said the government was preparing what he described as Nigeria’s most ambitious seaport modernization programme in more than five decades, covering Apapa, Tin Can Island, Onne, Rivers, Calabar and Warri ports.
Planned interventions include reconstruction of quay walls, channel deepening, replacement of obsolete cargo-handling equipment and further digitalization of terminal and gate operations.
Oyetola said delays at the ports affected manufacturers, exporters, transporters, distributors and consumers by raising the cost of moving goods through the economy.
He also cited improvements in international port-performance rankings and the removal of additional United States Coast Guard entry conditions on vessels arriving from Nigeria as signs of progress in port security and operations.
The minister said the government was also working with states and private investors on deep-seaport projects and would use the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency framework to strengthen tariff, service and competition oversight.
He said the ultimate test of the reforms would be faster cargo movement, shorter vessel turnaround times, improved security and more predictable logistics costs.
