President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate clearance of more than 300 containers of electricity equipment stranded at Nigerian ports.
Some of the equipment has been held for 14 to 20 years due to unpaid charges and unresolved customs procedures.
However, the Minister of Power, Olasunkanmi Tegbe, told journalists on Wednesday at the State House, Abuja, that the government would soon recover the equipment.
He explained that the directive forms part of the Federal Government’s efforts to recover potentially usable power infrastructure and address longstanding constraints in Nigeria’s electricity transmission network.
Tegbe described the prolonged detention of the equipment as unacceptable, saying the containers had remained at the ports for years because previous administrations failed to settle outstanding charges and complete the necessary clearance processes.
According to the minister, the President directed the Ministry of Power to work with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to resolve the outstanding issues and facilitate the release of the equipment.
Tinubu also instructed the relevant agencies to reconcile outstanding charges where necessary to end the prolonged delays.
The minister explained that technical experts would inspect the equipment after clearance to determine its condition and suitability for deployment across the country’s electricity network.
He said serviceable materials would be incorporated into ongoing power infrastructure projects, while obsolete or unusable equipment would be handled appropriately.
Tegbe did not disclose the total value of the stranded equipment, the amount needed to settle outstanding charges, or a deadline for completing the clearance exercise.
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