President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate clearance of more than 300 containers of electricity equipment stranded at Nigerian ports for years, with some reportedly abandoned for between 14 and 20 years, as the Federal Government steps up efforts to tackle the country’s persistent power supply challenges.
The Minister of Power, Olasunkanmi Tegbe, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Tinubu at the State House in Abuja. Tegbe said the President had directed the Ministry of Power to work with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to resolve outstanding charges and customs-related issues preventing the release of the equipment.
Describing the prolonged detention as unacceptable, the minister said previous administrations had failed to settle the relevant charges and complete the necessary clearance procedures. The government, he added, would reconcile outstanding payments where necessary to facilitate the release of the containers.
However, the equipment will undergo technical assessments after clearance to determine its condition and suitability for use. Materials deemed serviceable will be deployed to ongoing electricity infrastructure projects, while obsolete or unusable items will be dealt with appropriately.
Tegbe did not disclose the total value of the stranded equipment, the outstanding charges or a deadline for completing the clearance exercise. The directive comes as the Federal Government pursues a broader overhaul of Nigeria’s electricity transmission network, including plans to significantly increase the amount of power the national grid can carry.
Tegbe announced that the FEC had approved the commencement of procurement for the proposed East and West Super Grids, which are expected to raise Nigeria’s electricity transmission capacity from about 5,000 megawatts to 19,000MW within two years. The proposed grids will strengthen transmission links across the country, connecting strategic corridors, including routes extending from Sokoto through Abuja to other locations.
The minister described the procurement approval as a critical step towards improving the capacity and resilience of the national electricity network.