Customs Releases 98 Containers of Power Equipment Abandoned at Ports

Nigeria's power sector is set to be strengthened with the release 98 containers of power equipment trapped at the ports for over 20 years by the Nigeria Customs Service today, Friday.

The containers are part of more than 300 containers of electricity equipment imported by the federal government through contractors who abandoned them at the seaports over the years.

Briefing the media on the clearance of the stranded power sector equipment at the nation’s seaports, the Customs Comptroller General, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR,

noted that reliable electricity is central to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stressing that since 2023, the administration has taken bold steps to reposition the power sector for growth, investment and dependable supply.

"The Electricity Act 2023 opened the electricity market to states, allowing them to generate, transmit and distribute power. The Presidential Power Initiative with Siemens Energy has been revived to expand transmission capacity across the country. Government has also moved to settle verified legacy debts in the sector, close the metering gap and extend off-grid power to underserved communities, universities, markets and hospitals. The direction is clear: generate more power, move it efficiently through the grid and deliver it to homes, businesses and industries. Every agency of government has a part to play in achieving that goal,” the CGC said.

CGC Adeniyi lamented that over the years, equipment imported for critical power projects remained uncleared at the nation's ports, in some cases for between 14 and 20 years. He disclosed that the consignments include high-capacity transformers, cables, switchgear and other transmission equipment imported through the Federal Ministry of Power and the Transmission Company of Nigeria.

He explained that following a presentation by the Honourable Minister of Power at the Federal Executive Council, President Tinubu directed the immediate clearance of the equipment, further directing that relevant agencies should resolve all outstanding charges and administrative bottlenecks without delay.

“In line with that directive, the Service has commenced the clearance of more than 300 containers of power equipment. Today, I am here at the Apapa Port with the Honourable Minister of Power to flag off the release of the first 44 containers. Another 54 containers at other terminals will be released in turn. We are working closely with the Federal Ministry of Power, the Transmission Company of Nigeria and the Nigerian Ports Authority to complete the exercise as quickly as possible. We have deployed every facilitation measure within our mandate, including priority processing of the consignments, dedicated officers for joint examination, and the application of approved waivers on charges that accrued while the goods remained uncleared.

“After release, technical experts will inspect the equipment. Serviceable items will be deployed to ongoing and stalled projects, including transmission corridors and substations across the country, and obsolete items will be disposed of in accordance with extant regulations,” the CGC stated.

He commended the support of the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, for approving the waivers on the accumulated charges on these consignments and the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, for approving the waiver of demurrage charges which makes the release to progress.

Stressing that the approvals removed the cost barriers that had kept vital national assets locked in the ports for far too long, he added that the exercise has also exposed a troubling pattern.

According to him, some contractors awarded government projects import equipment, abandon it at the port and fail to execute the projects for which public funds were committed. "The power sector has not been spared. Such conduct denies Nigerians the electricity, jobs and services those projects were meant to deliver. Contractors who accept government projects and fail to deliver, while abandoning project materials at the ports, should be regarded as economic saboteurs. The Service will work with supervising ministries and the relevant oversight agencies to identify government consignments that remain uncleared. We will make that information available so that defaulting contractors can be held to account.

“The Nigeria Customs Service remains fully committed to the Federal Government’s drive to revive the power sector and complete stalled projects. We urge all ministries, departments and agencies with consignments at the ports to engage with the Service promptly, so that no project critical to national development is held back at the border," Adeniyi assured.