The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced the clearance and release of 98 containers of abandoned power sector equipment at Nigerian ports, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive for the immediate evacuation of consignments that have remained trapped for between 14 and 20 years.
The exercise, which includes the waiver of accumulated port charges and demurrage, is expected to facilitate the completion of critical electricity infrastructure projects and support efforts to improve power generation, transmission and distribution across the country.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this during the flag-off of the release of the first batch of the equipment at ENL Terminal, Lagos, in the presence of the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe.
Adeniyi said the Customs Service had commenced the immediate clearance of more than 300 containers of power sector equipment, with 44 containers scheduled for release from ENL Terminal, while another 54 consignments at other terminals, including Tin Can Island Port, would also be evacuated.
He explained that the equipment, imported for critical government electricity projects, included hydropower platforms, cables, switchgears and other transmission infrastructure required by agencies such as the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC).
According to him, the consignments had remained at the ports for between 14 and 20 years, delaying the execution of projects intended to strengthen Nigeria’s electricity infrastructure.
He said the presidential directive followed a presentation by the Minister of Power to the Federal Executive Council, after which the President directed the immediate clearance of the equipment and resolution of outstanding charges and administrative bottlenecks.
“In line with that presidential directive, this service has commenced the immediate clearance of more than 200 containers of power equipment. Today, I am here with the Minister of Power to flag off the release of the first batch of containers from ENL terminal. Other containers at terminals in Tin Can and other ports will also be released in due course,” Adeniyi said.
The Customs boss said the service was working with the Ministry of Power, TCN, NDPHC, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and other stakeholders to ensure the speedy completion of the exercise.
He listed the measures introduced to facilitate the process to include priority processing of the consignments, deployment of dedicated officers for joint examinations and implementation of approved waivers on accumulated port charges.
Adeniyi also acknowledged the support of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, alongside the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, in facilitating the waivers and securing the cooperation of terminal operators.
He said the intervention aligned with the Federal Government’s broader electricity sector reforms aimed at attracting investment, expanding generation capacity and improving electricity supply to households, businesses and industries.
He cited the Electricity Act 2023, which opened up the electricity market to states, as well as the Presidential Power Initiative with Siemens Energy, as part of efforts to expand electricity generation and transmission capacity.
Other interventions, he said, included the settlement of verified legacy debts in the power sector, efforts to address the metering gap and the expansion of off-grid electricity solutions to underserved communities, universities, markets, hospitals and port terminals.
However, Adeniyi expressed concern over the practice of contractors importing equipment for government projects but abandoning the consignments at the ports without executing the projects for which they were engaged.
He described the development as detrimental to national development, noting that it deprived Nigerians of essential infrastructure, employment opportunities and improved public services.
The Customs chief warned that contractors who received payments for government projects but failed to execute them while abandoning imported equipment at the ports should be exposed and held accountable.
“Contractors who have been awarded government projects, paid for them, and fail to deliver while abandoning equipment at the ports should therefore be exposed for their illegality as economic saboteurs,” he said.
He disclosed that the Customs Service would collaborate with relevant government agencies and oversight institutions to identify contractors responsible for the abandoned consignments, including equipment imported under government-funded projects and donations from international organisations.
He assured that relevant information would be made available to facilitate investigations and ensure accountability.
Adeniyi also urged ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to strengthen their engagement with the Customs Service to prevent critical national development projects from being delayed by avoidable port and border bottlenecks.
“We will no longer accept this at Customs. We will work with the agencies of government to ensure that such contractors are held to account,” he said.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, described the commencement of the evacuation exercise as a significant milestone in the government’s efforts to address longstanding challenges affecting the electricity sector.
Tegbe said the prolonged stay of the equipment at the ports had imposed considerable financial and operational costs on the country, delayed critical infrastructure projects and placed additional pressure on existing electricity facilities.
He explained that the recovered equipment would support critical power projects and help accelerate infrastructure development to meet the country’s growing electricity needs.
The minister attributed the commencement of the exercise to President Tinubu’s intervention and the cooperation of government institutions and security agencies.
He commended the President for approving the necessary resources and directing relevant agencies to work together to remove the obstacles that had prevented the evacuation of the equipment.
Tegbe also acknowledged the contributions of the Minister of Defence, the military, security agencies, port authorities, shipping companies and other stakeholders.
He disclosed that engineers had commenced the verification and assessment of the recovered equipment to determine their condition and suitability for deployment.
According to him, some of the equipment would be transported to project locations across the country, including Kaduna, Akure and Lafia, to support ongoing electricity infrastructure projects.
He said the recovered materials would be matched with the requirements of specific projects to ensure effective utilisation and prevent further waste of public resources.
The minister stressed that the exercise must translate into tangible improvements in electricity supply rather than merely relocating stranded equipment from the ports.
He identified adequate fuel supply, improved operational performance and a stronger electricity transmission network as critical components of the government’s efforts to deliver reliable power to households, businesses and social institutions.
Tegbe assured that the government would continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to address structural challenges in the electricity sector and ensure that the recovered equipment contributed meaningfully to national development.
