President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate commencement of efforts to clear more than 300 containers of electricity equipment stranded at Nigerian ports, with some reportedly held for between 14 and 20 years over unpaid charges and unresolved customs procedures.
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.
Minister of Power, Olasunkanmi Tegbe, disclosed the development on Wednesday while briefing journalists 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, 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 bring the prolonged delays to an end.
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 materials found to be serviceable would be incorporated into ongoing power infrastructure projects, while obsolete or unusable equipment would be handled appropriately.
The announcement raises the prospect of recovering electricity infrastructure that has remained idle for years, although the government has yet to establish how much of the equipment can still be used.
Tegbe did not disclose the total value of the stranded equipment, the amount required to settle outstanding charges or a specific deadline for completing the clearance exercise.
The directive comes as the Federal Government approved the commencement of procurement for the proposed East and West Super Grids, aimed at expanding Nigeria’s electricity transmission capacity from approximately 5,000 megawatts to 19,000MW within two years.
Tegbe said the proposed grids would strengthen electricity transmission links across the northern and southern parts of the country, enabling the national network to accommodate higher electricity volumes and future demand.
According to him, the projects would connect strategic transmission corridors stretching from Sokoto through Abuja to other parts of Nigeria.
He explained that Tinubu had authorised the commencement of procurement, describing the initiative as an important step towards improving the resilience and efficiency of the national electricity network.
The minister also announced three FEC approvals targeting transmission constraints in Abuja, Lagos and the Lagos-Shagamu industrial corridor.
The first involves the construction of a 33kV double-circuit underground and overhead transmission line linked to the Katampe Transmission Substation, a major electricity facility serving the North-Central region.
The second covers the design, manufacture and supply of three 300MVA, 330/132/33kV power transformers for the Ikeja West Transmission Substation, which serves Lagos and adjoining areas.
The third approval involves reconstructing and upgrading the 35.6-kilometre Itumola-Mapasin-Shagamu 132kV single-circuit transmission line into a double-circuit facility to accommodate growing electricity demand along the Lagos-Shagamu corridor.
Tegbe said the projects were intended to address existing transmission bottlenecks, stabilise electricity supply and improve the utilisation of available power infrastructure.
He disclosed that the Ministry of Power had also commenced a nationwide technical audit of electricity infrastructure to identify ageing, weak and underperforming facilities requiring rehabilitation or replacement.
The audit, which began four weeks earlier, divides the country into three major energy zones: Lagos and its surrounding industrial corridor; the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano axis; and the Enugu-Onitsha-Benin axis.
According to the minister, findings from the exercise would guide future investment decisions and help prioritise interventions needed to improve grid reliability.
On the financial challenges confronting the electricity sector, Tegbe disclosed that the Federal Government had paid ₦1.23 trillion out of ₦3.3 trillion owed to gas suppliers and other power sector stakeholders.
He explained that the accumulated liabilities had contributed to gas supply difficulties affecting electricity generation companies and undermining power production.
The minister said efforts were underway to strengthen coordination between the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO).
He maintained that separating system operations from transmission infrastructure management would improve efficiency, shorten response times and strengthen coordination across the national grid.
Tegbe also disclosed that the government was considering increased private-sector participation in the management of power assets to improve operational performance.
He further announced that construction had commenced on a new National Control Centre in Osogbo to replace the existing facility, which was built 64 years ago.
The proposed centre is expected to improve real-time monitoring, coordination and management of electricity transmission across the country.
The minister said the government was also working to energise completed transmission substations in Kano, Katsina, Bauchi and Gombe, among other locations, to bring idle infrastructure into operation.
On alternative energy, Tegbe disclosed that 14 federal universities had received installed and operational solar mini-grids with capacities ranging from one to five megawatts.
Another 11 universities were benefiting from similar interventions through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), bringing the number of institutions covered by the broader programme to nearly 30.
He added that five teaching hospitals were also benefiting from solar power installations being implemented in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health.
Tegbe maintained that recovering the stranded containers, alongside the proposed Super Grids, transmission upgrades, debt payments and renewable energy interventions, would help address longstanding weaknesses in Nigeria’s electricity supply system.
He stressed that the immediate priority concerning the stranded equipment was to resolve the outstanding clearance issues, assess its condition and determine what could be deployed to improve electricity infrastructure.
Deji Elumoye,
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