Customs Releases 98 Containers of Power Equipment Stranded for 20 Years

By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos

The Federal Government has secured the release of 98 containers of electricity transmission equipment, some of which had remained stranded at Nigerian ports for up to 20 years, in a move expected to facilitate the completion of stalled power projects and strengthen the national grid.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, disclosed this during a media briefing in Lagos, where he explained that the recovered cargoes contained critical infrastructure materials, including high-capacity transformers, cables and switchgear, procured to expand the transmission network and address pressure on overloaded substations.

Tegbe said 44 containers were initially released from the ENL Terminal, while another 54 were subsequently recovered from the APM Terminals and Sun and Moon Terminals, bringing the total number of containers released to 98 out of more than 300 that had been held at various ports.

He explained that the prolonged detention of the equipment had delayed the execution of important transmission projects, left existing substations under considerable pressure and exposed the materials to possible deterioration, while storage and other associated charges continued to accumulate.

The minister noted that the consequences of the delay were not limited to the power sector, as businesses continued to spend more on alternative electricity supply, households endured persistent power interruptions and public institutions faced difficulties maintaining essential services.

He attributed the breakthrough to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive for the immediate clearance of the containers, saying the Ministry of Power and the Nigeria Customs Service had intensified efforts to resolve the issues preventing their release.

Tegbe thanked the President for his intervention and acknowledged the contributions of the Ministers of Finance and Marine and Blue Economy, the Comptroller-General of Customs, as well as officials of the Ministry of Power and its agencies.

Also speaking, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, said the release followed the President’s directive that the cargoes be cleared without further delay and that outstanding charges and administrative bottlenecks be resolved through the cooperation of relevant government agencies.

Adeniyi said the Customs Service had commenced the necessary processes in collaboration with the Ministry of Power, the Nigerian Ports Authority and terminal operators to facilitate the evacuation of the equipment.

He pledged that Customs would continue working with the Ministry of Power until all the containers were cleared, while appealing to terminal operators to support the government’s efforts to recover the materials for the benefit of the country.

On the condition of the recovered equipment, Tegbe disclosed that an inspection showed that most of the materials remained useful and viable despite the lengthy period they had spent at the ports.

He said the equipment would be evacuated and subjected to verification and technical assessments, while those requiring attention would be refurbished before deployment to designated project sites.

According to him, the recovered materials would be used to complete stalled installations, ease pressure on overloaded substations and strengthen transmission corridors facing capacity constraints.

The minister expressed optimism that putting the equipment into service would improve the capacity and reliability of the transmission network, reduce interruptions associated with overloading and enhance voltage performance.

He assured Nigerians that the ministry would follow the recovery process through to the installation and commissioning of the equipment, rather than stopping at their evacuation from the ports.

Tegbe also expressed confidence that the remaining containers would be released without further delay, promising that the ministry would provide updates on the recovery exercise as the government works to ensure that the long-abandoned equipment is put to productive use.