President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate commencement of processes to clear more than 300 containers of electricity equipment that have remained stranded at Nigerian ports for between 14 and 20 years.
The Minister of Power, Olasunkanmi Tegbe, disclosed this on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.
Tegbe described the prolonged detention of the equipment as “unacceptable,” explaining that unpaid charges and unresolved customs procedures had prevented the containers from being released for years.
He said the President had directed the Ministry of Power to collaborate with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to resolve the outstanding issues and facilitate their clearance.
According to the minister, technical experts will assess the equipment after its release to determine which items remain suitable for use.
He explained that serviceable materials would be deployed to ongoing electricity projects, while obsolete equipment would be handled appropriately.
The directive comes amid Federal Government efforts to expand Nigeria’s electricity transmission capacity through proposed East and West Super Grids.
Tegbe said the projects are expected to increase the country’s transmission capacity from approximately 5,000 megawatts to 19,000 megawatts within two years.
The minister also announced approvals for transmission infrastructure projects in Abuja, Lagos and along the Lagos–Shagamu corridor.
The projects include new transmission lines and the provision of three 300MVA transformers for the Ikeja West Transmission Substation in Lagos.
On the financial challenges confronting the power sector, Tegbe disclosed that the Federal Government had paid ₦1.23 trillion out of the ₦3.3 trillion owed to gas suppliers and other stakeholders.
He noted that the outstanding debts had contributed to gas supply shortages, which continue to affect electricity generation.
Meanwhile, construction has commenced on a new National Control Centre in Osogbo, Osun State, to replace the existing facility, which is 64 years old.
The minister added that the government was also working to energise completed substations in Kano, Katsina, Bauchi and Gombe states as part of efforts to improve electricity transmission and distribution across the country.
Share this content:
About The Author
