From Idu Jude, Abuja
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has said that dismantling the chronic Apapa gridlock will stand as his greatest legacy in office. Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja to members of Study Group 4, Senior Executive Course 47 of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Oyetola described the months-long effort to restore order along Nigeria’s vital maritime corridor as both arduous and necessary.
“The Apapa gridlock wasn’t natural—it was engineered. Some people built careers and empires on the dysfunction of that corridor. Breaking that cycle meant taking on forces who didn’t want change,” he told the visiting policy scholars.
Oyetola recounted that upon assuming office in 2023, he quickly recognized that Nigeria’s blue economy could not flourish while thousands of trucks were stranded daily. “Clearing that gridlock meant going against years of collusion, corruption, and carefully cultivated disorder. We identified the patterns, unmasked the players, and took decisive action. It was gritty and risky, but it had to be done,” he said.
Central to the operation’s success was inter-ministerial collaboration. In December 2023, Oyetola reached out to his counterpart in the Ministry of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, “requesting urgent intervention on the failed portions of the port access roads.” He added, “I knew our efforts would not amount to much if the roads remained impassable. Senator Umahi responded with commendable urgency. The repairs began swiftly, and that infrastructural support gave our reforms the room they needed to take hold.”
Oyetola also praised the Lagos State Government for its role in clearing shanties and illegal structures that had choked the access roads. With those obstacles removed, and a new digital truck-scheduling system in place, “for the first time in over 20 years, trucks no longer spent weeks waiting to pick up or deliver cargo,” he noted. “Port users began to experience seamless movement, while haulage costs dropped by as much as 60 percent. Where chaos once reigned, there is now order. Trade is moving. Time is being saved. Revenue is growing.”
Beyond logistics, Oyetola highlighted the broader social gains: quieter, cleaner neighbourhoods in Apapa; the revival of small businesses; and improved efficiency for port workers. “Too many lives were lost during those years of gridlock. People lost livelihoods, businesses closed, and property values collapsed. I am happy that we have restored hope and opened a new chapter,” he said.
The Minister explained that the resolution of the Apapa gridlock represents a defining milestone of his tenure and “a powerful example of what can be achieved through focused leadership, inter-ministerial cooperation, and the courage to challenge deeply rooted interests.” Brigadier General Abdulrahaman Idris, directing staff of NIPSS, led the Study Group and commended Oyetola for his “giant strides” in freeing Nigeria’s busiest port corridor.