KEY POINTS
- Customs released 98 containers of grid equipment, some held for up to 20 years.
- More than 300 containers of transmission equipment were stuck at the ports.
- The power minister says most of the equipment is still usable.
The Nigeria Customs Service has released 98 containers of electricity transmission equipment that sat stranded at the country’s ports, some for up to 20 years, Vanguard reported.
Power Minister Joseph Tegbe said in Lagos that 44 containers came from ENL Terminal, while the other 54 came from APMT and Sun & Moon terminals. The 98 are part of more than 300 containers of transmission equipment held at the ports, he said.
Power equipment meant to relieve the grid
The cargo includes high-capacity transformers, cables and switchgear bought to expand the transmission network, relieve overloaded substations and improve electricity supply nationwide.
Instead, the equipment sat idle. “Its detention stalled projects, kept existing substations under heavy strain,” Tegbe said, adding that it also exposed valuable assets to deterioration and piled up charges on the cargo.
The delay also imposed extra costs on businesses, households and public institutions that still struggle with unreliable electricity, he said.
President orders immediate clearance
Customs chief Bashir Adeniyi said the service began clearing the containers with the power ministry, the Nigerian Ports Authority and terminal operators. The release follows President Bola Tinubu’s directive for immediate clearance and for agencies to resolve outstanding charges and administrative bottlenecks without delay, he said.
Adeniyi pledged to keep working with the minister until customs clears all the containers, and he appealed to terminal operators to support the effort.
Meanwhile, Tegbe said an inspection showed that most of the items remain usable. Once the equipment leaves the ports, the ministry plans to verify, test and, where needed, refurbish it before sending it to project sites to complete stalled installations and strengthen constrained transmission corridors.
