Customs Releases First 98 Containers Of Power Equipment, Waives Charges

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 removal of critical consignments that have remained trapped at the ports for between 14 and 20 years.

The exercise, which includes the waiver of accumulated port charges and demurrage, is aimed at unlocking critical infrastructure projects and accelerating the Federal Government’s efforts to improve electricity 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 the ENL terminal, in the presence of the Minister of Power.

Adeniyi said the Customs Service had commenced the immediate clearance of more than 300 containers of power equipment, adding that the first batch of 44 containers would be released from ENL terminal, while additional 54 consignments at other terminals, including Tin Can Island Port, would also be cleared.

He explained that the equipment, imported for critical government power 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 equipment had remained at the ports for between 14 and 20 years, thereby delaying the execution of projects designed to strengthen Nigeria’s electricity infrastructure.

“Following a presentation by the Honourable Minister of Power to the Federal Executive Council, Mr President directed the immediate clearance of the equipment. He also directed that relevant agencies resolve all outstanding charges and administrative bottlenecks without delay.

“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.

He noted that the Customs Service was working closely with the Ministry of Power, TCN, NDPHC, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and other stakeholders to ensure the speedy completion of the exercise.

The Customs boss said the service had introduced several trade facilitation measures to accelerate the process, including priority processing of the consignments, deployment of dedicated officers for joint examinations and implementation of approved waivers on accumulated charges.

He also acknowledged the support of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, as well as the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, for facilitating the waivers and securing the cooperation of terminal operators.

Adeniyi said the intervention was consistent with the Tinubu administration’s broader electricity sector reforms, which were designed to attract investment, expand power generation capacity and improve electricity supply to households, businesses and industries.

He recalled that the Electricity Act 2023 had opened up the electricity market to states, allowing them to generate, transmit and distribute electricity, while the Presidential Power Initiative with Siemens Energy was being implemented to expand the country’s transmission capacity.

He added that the Federal Government had also taken steps to settle verified legacy debts in the power sector, address the metering gap and extend off-grid electricity solutions to underserved communities, universities, markets, hospitals and port terminals.

“The direction is very clear: we generate more power and move it efficiently through the grid, and deliver it to homes, businesses and industries. Every agency of government has a role to play in achieving that goal.

“Over the years, it is important that critical power projects do not remain on course in our ports. These consignments include hydropower platforms, cables, switchgears and other transmission equipment imported into Nigeria for the power sector and government agencies,” he said.

However, the Customs chief expressed concern over what he described as a disturbing pattern of contractors importing equipment for government projects but abandoning the consignments at the ports without completing the projects for which they were engaged.

He warned that such practices were undermining national development, denying Nigerians access to essential infrastructure, employment opportunities and improved public services.

According to him, contractors who collect payments for government projects but fail to execute them while abandoning imported equipment at the ports should be treated as economic saboteurs.

“This exercise that we are undertaking has exposed a troubling pattern. Some contractors awarded government projects import equipment and abandon them at the ports, failing to execute the projects for which the equipment was brought into the country.

“The power sector has not been spared from this particular problem. Such contractors deny Nigerians the electricity, the jobs and the services these projects are meant to deliver.

“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,” Adeniyi said.

He disclosed that the Customs Service would work with relevant government agencies and oversight institutions to identify contractors responsible for abandoned consignments, including equipment imported under government-funded projects and donations from international organisations.

He said the service would make relevant information available to ensure that those responsible were identified and held accountable.

Adeniyi further 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.

“We urge all ministries, departments, agencies and parastatals to engage with the Nigeria Customs Service properly, so that no project critical to national development is held back at our ports or at our border stations,” he said.

Meanwhile, the minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, described the development as a significant milestone in the government’s efforts to address longstanding challenges affecting the power sector.

Tegbe said the prolonged stay of the equipment in the ports had imposed considerable economic and operational costs on the country, while delaying critical infrastructure projects and putting additional pressure on existing facilities.

According to him, the situation has not only increased the financial burden on government and relevant institutions but also slowed the delivery of essential services to businesses, households and communities.

He explained that the equipment was expected to support critical power projects, adding that its recovery would help accelerate infrastructure development and improve the capacity of the electricity sector to meet the country’s growing energy needs.

The minister attributed the successful commencement of the exercise to the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the cooperation of relevant government institutions and security agencies.

He expressed appreciation to the President for approving the release of necessary resources and directing relevant agencies to collaborate in removing the obstacles that had prevented the equipment from being evacuated.

Tegbe also commended the Minister of Defence, the military, security agencies, port authorities, shipping companies and other stakeholders for their cooperation in facilitating the exercise.

He said the government had adopted a coordinated approach involving relevant institutions to ensure that the evacuation was carried out in line with established procedures and security requirements.

The minister disclosed that following the evacuation, engineers had commenced the verification and assessment of the recovered equipment to establish their condition and determine their suitability for deployment.

He explained that some of the equipment would be transported to project locations across the country, including Kaduna, Akure and Lafia, among other destinations, to support ongoing power infrastructure projects.

According to him, 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 said the government remained committed to ensuring that the exercise translated into tangible improvements in electricity supply rather than merely moving stranded equipment from one location to another.

He stressed the need for discipline, transparency and accountability in the implementation process, assuring Nigerians that the government would provide clear information on the progress of the exercise.

The minister further noted that recovering the equipment was only one aspect of the broader efforts required to address Nigeria’s electricity challenges.

He identified adequate fuel supply, improved operational performance and a stronger electricity transmission network as essential components of the government’s strategy to deliver reliable power to households, businesses and social institutions.

Tegbe added that the government would continue to work with relevant stakeholders to address structural challenges in the electricity sector and ensure that recovered assets contributed meaningfully to national development.

He expressed confidence that the coordinated intervention would help accelerate delayed projects, strengthen electricity infrastructure and create the foundation for improved power delivery across the country.

The minister reiterated the administration’s commitment to deploying available resources efficiently and ensuring that the recovery exercise delivers measurable benefits to Nigerians.