FG begins clearing power equipment stranded since 2014

By Soni Daniel ABUJA — The Federal Government has begun clearing hundreds of containers of electricity equipment stranded at Nigerian ports for more than a decade, in a move aimed at recovering abandoned public assets and supporting critical power infrastructure projects. The Ministry of Power has secured the release of the first 44 containers from Apapa Port, Lagos, out of more than 300 containers awaiting clearance, some since 2014.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, disclosed this after the recent Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja. He said the intervention followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the ministry to work with the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Ports Authority to resolve the administrative and financial bottlenecks responsible for the prolonged delay.

The bottlenecks, he explained, included the reconciliation of outstanding port charges. “The release of the first 44 containers represents significant progress in our determination to recover critical power assets and accelerate infrastructure development,” the minister said. Tegbe said technical experts would assess the recovered equipment to establish their condition and suitability for deployment.

He explained that serviceable equipment would be integrated into ongoing electricity projects, while items considered unserviceable would be appropriately disposed of. The latest exercise follows earlier recovery efforts by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), under the leadership of its Managing Director, Engr. Jennifer Adighije. The company reportedly recovered 110 abandoned containers and 216 packages, saving more than ₦30 billion and facilitating the recovery of turbines associated with about 470 megawatts of electricity generation capacity.

The Federal Government said the latest intervention was part of efforts to unlock stranded public investments, strengthen electricity infrastructure and address bottlenecks affecting power delivery across the country. It expressed optimism that sustained collaboration among relevant government agencies would enable the recovered equipment to support electricity projects and improve power supply to homes and businesses.