Customs Releases 98 Containers of Power Equipment Stranded at Nigerian Ports

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced the release of 98 containers of electricity transmission equipment that had remained stranded at Nigerian ports for between 14 and 20 years.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, announced the development on Friday, November 6, 2026, during the flag-off of the evacuation exercise at the ENL Terminal in Apapa, Lagos.

The equipment forms part of more than 300 containers imported for government-backed electricity projects but left uncleared at various ports, including Apapa and Tin Can Island.

The consignments contain high-capacity transformers, electrical cables, switchgear and other critical transmission materials imported through the Federal Ministry of Power, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Niger Delta Power Holding Company and other government agencies.

Adeniyi said the release followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the immediate clearance of the equipment after the Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, raised the matter before the Federal Executive Council.

The President also directed relevant agencies to resolve outstanding charges and administrative bottlenecks that had prevented the consignments from leaving the ports.

According to the Customs chief, the service is working with the Federal Ministry of Power, TCN, the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, the Nigerian Ports Authority and other stakeholders to complete the evacuation.

He said special measures had been introduced to facilitate the process, including priority processing, dedicated officers for joint examinations and approved waivers on applicable charges.

Adeniyi acknowledged the Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, for approving waivers on charges accumulated while the equipment remained at the ports.

He added that technical experts would inspect the materials after evacuation to determine their condition. Equipment found to be serviceable would be deployed to ongoing and planned transmission projects, including substations and transmission corridors, while obsolete items would be disposed of in line with existing regulations.

The Customs chief also criticised contractors who allegedly imported equipment using public funds but abandoned the consignments without completing the projects for which they were procured.

He described such conduct as economic sabotage, arguing that the prolonged abandonment had denied Nigerians access to electricity and other benefits expected from the projects.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Power described the release exercise as an important step towards recovering equipment needed to strengthen Nigeria’s electricity transmission infrastructure.

The government expects the recovered materials to support ongoing efforts to expand and rehabilitate the national transmission network. However, their actual contribution to electricity supply will depend on technical assessments and successful deployment.