Customs Breaks 20-Year Jinx: Power Equipment Abandoned At Ports Finally Freed

Customs Breaks 20-Year Jinx: Power Equipment Abandoned At Ports Finally Freed

… As Adeniyi, Tegbe Flag Off Release Of First 44 Containers At Apapa, 300+ More To Follow

By Success Okezie

 

For 20 years, while millions of homes stayed in darkness, while small businesses ran on generators, while hospitals and schools battled epileptic supply, the very equipment meant to fix the problem was sitting idle at the ports.

Not missing. Not stolen. Just abandoned.

Transformers, cables, switchgears and other high-capacity transmission equipment, all paid for with public funds, all imported for critical national projects, all left to rot in containers at Apapa, Tin Can and other terminals.

On Friday, that jinx was finally broken.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced the release of *98 containers of power sector equipment* abandoned at the nation’s ports for over 20 years, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive for their immediate clearance.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, *Adewale Adeniyi*, announced the breakthrough during a press briefing at Apapa Port, where he flagged off the release of the first batch alongside the Minister of Power, *Joseph Tegbe*.

Adeniyi said the exercise will see the release of the first *44 containers at Apapa Port*, while another *54 containers at other terminals, including the Tin Can Island Port*, will be cleared subsequently, following the approval of waivers on accumulated charges and demurrage.

But the 98 containers are only the first wave.

The Service has commenced the clearance of *more than 300 containers* of stranded power equipment imported for critical government power projects through the Federal Ministry of Power and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

The equipment had remained uncleared for between *14 and 20 years*, delaying projects designed to improve electricity transmission and distribution across the country.

“Over the years, equipment imported for critical power projects remained uncleared at our ports, in some cases for between 14 and 20 years. These consignments include high-capacity transformers, cables, switchgear and other transmission equipment imported through the Federal Ministry of Power and the Transmission Company of Nigeria,” Adeniyi said.

“Following a presentation by the Honourable Minister of Power at the Federal Executive Council, Mr President directed the immediate clearance of the equipment. He also directed the relevant agencies to 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,” he said.

For years, the excuse was always the same: accumulated charges, demurrage, administrative bottlenecks.

This time, the Federal Government removed all of them at once.

To facilitate the release, Adeniyi said the Service had introduced priority processing of the consignments, deployed dedicated officers for joint examinations and implemented approved waivers on charges that accrued while the consignments remained uncleared.

 

He commended the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, *Taiwo Oyedele*, for approving waivers on accumulated charges, as well as the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, *Adegboyega Oyetola*, for approving the waiver of demurrage.

The Customs boss said the Service was working closely with the Federal Ministry of Power, TCN and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to ensure the speedy evacuation of the equipment.

After release, technical experts would inspect the recovered equipment, with serviceable items deployed to ongoing and stalled projects, including transmission corridors and substations, while obsolete materials would be disposed of in accordance with existing regulations.

Adeniyi said the intervention aligned with the Federal Government’s efforts to reposition the power sector, noting that reliable electricity supply remained central to President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“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,” he said.

“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,” he added.

*Adeniyi Names The Real Enemy: Saboteur Contractors*

In one of the strongest moments of the briefing, Adeniyi turned his fire on contractors who import equipment for government projects but abandon the consignments at the ports without executing the projects for which public funds were committed.

He described such contractors as *economic saboteurs*, saying their actions deprived Nigerians of electricity, employment opportunities and essential services the projects were expected to deliver.

Adeniyi said the Service would collaborate with supervising ministries and relevant oversight agencies to identify government consignments abandoned at the ports and make the information available to ensure that defaulting contractors were held accountable.

He urged ministries, departments and agencies with consignments at the ports to engage promptly with the Customs Service to prevent critical national development projects from being delayed by avoidable administrative bottlenecks.

He reaffirmed the NCS’s commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s efforts to revive the power sector and ensure that equipment imported for national development projects was not left stranded at the nation’s ports.

On his part, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, described the commencement of the equipment evacuation as a significant milestone in the Federal Government’s efforts to address longstanding challenges in the power sector.

Tegbe said the prolonged stay of the equipment at the ports had imposed considerable economic and operational costs on the country, delayed critical infrastructure projects and placed additional pressure on existing facilities.

He attributed the development to the intervention of President Tinubu and the cooperation of relevant government institutions and security agencies, commending the President for approving the necessary resources and directing agencies to remove the obstacles that had hindered the evacuation.

The minister also acknowledged the support of Customs, Nigerian Ports Authority, shipping companies, terminal operators and relevant stakeholders in facilitating the exercise.

He disclosed that engineers had commenced the verification and technical assessment of the recovered equipment to establish their condition and determine their suitability for deployment.

According to him, some of the equipment would be transported to project locations across the country, including *Kaduna, Lokoja, Akure, Lafia, and Osun State* to support ongoing electricity infrastructure projects.

He explained that the recovered materials would be matched with the requirements of specific projects to ensure their effective utilisation and prevent further waste of public resources.

Tegbe stressed that the objective was to ensure that the recovery exercise translated into tangible improvements in electricity supply rather than merely moving stranded equipment from the ports.

Representatives of terminal operators and shipping companies present at the meeting pledged their full support and cooperation to ensure the smooth and timely release of the containers.

For the ordinary Nigerian, the message from Apapa on Friday was simple and powerful: what was abandoned for 20 years will no longer be allowed to waste.

The equipment is finally moving. The contractors who abandoned it will be exposed. And the light that was trapped in those containers must now find its way to the homes, businesses and communities that have waited far too long.

About The Author