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By Godswill Michael
The Federal Government has initiated a probe into allegations of marginalisation of indigenous barge operators in Nigeria’s maritime sector, directing the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to investigate claims of unfair practices at the nation’s seaports.
The directive was issued by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, during the 2026 First Quarter Citizens/Stakeholders’ Engagement, Sectoral Performance Review, and Ministerial Management Retreat of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy held in Lagos.
According to a statement on Monday signed by the Minister’s Special Adviser, Bolaji Akinola, the government’s intervention follows complaints by industry players over what they described as systemic efforts to sideline local operators.
“The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, has directed the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to investigate allegations of systemic efforts to undermine local barge operators at the nation’s seaports,” the statement said.
At the engagement, representatives of barge operators alleged that “there is a coordinated and deliberate attempt by certain foreign interests to edge them out of business,” warning that the situation could erode indigenous participation in the sector.
“They claimed that these actions, if left unchecked, could significantly weaken local capacity and disrupt the balance of competition within Nigeria’s maritime logistics chain,” the statement added.
The operators raised concerns over structural disadvantages affecting their operations, noting that “policies, operational bottlenecks, and preferential treatment allegedly being accorded to some foreign-linked entities by certain terminal operators are creating an uneven playing field.”
“According to them, these challenges are gradually eroding their market share and threatening the survival of indigenous businesses,” the statement said.
Oyetola reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting domestic investments and ensuring a level playing field across the maritime industry. He mandated the Council, in its capacity as port economic regulator, to conduct “a thorough and impartial investigation into the claims.”
The Minister also issued a strong warning against unfair market practices, stressing that “any form of anti-competitive behaviour or policy inconsistency that disadvantages Nigerian businesses would not be tolerated.”
Barge operations play a critical role in Nigeria’s port logistics ecosystem, particularly in decongesting major seaports such as those in Lagos and facilitating cargo movement through inland waterways. Indigenous operators have, however, long raised concerns over regulatory bottlenecks, infrastructure constraints, and competition from foreign-linked firms.