​In a major breakthrough aimed at tackling Nigeria’s persistent energy deficit, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced the official release of 98 containers containing vital electricity transmission equipment that had been abandoned across various port terminals in Lagos for between 14 and 20 years.
​The announcement was made during a joint inspection and press briefing at the port facilities in Lagos. The initial batch of 98 cleared consignments includes 44 containers released from the ENL Terminal at Apapa Port, alongside 54 containers cleared from the APM Terminals (APMT) and the Sun & Moon Terminals at Tin Can Island Port.
​The released cargo consists of high-capacity transformers, electrical cables, switchgears, and power distribution accessories originally procured by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to expand grid infrastructure, but held back due to severe administrative bottlenecks, demurrage charges, and logistical constraints.
​Speaking at the event, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, highlighted that the release forms part of an overarching strategy to recover over 300 power equipment containers trapped nationwide.
​”The equipment was procured to expand the transmission network and relieve overloaded substations. Its detention stalled projects, kept existing substations under heavy strain, exposed valuable assets to deterioration, and accumulated charges on the cargoes,” Minister Tegbe stated. “Its release marks an essential step towards recovering stranded assets and putting them to immediate productive use.”
​Also speaking, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, confirmed that the initiative directly follows explicit directives from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fast-track the clearance of government assets critical to national development. To facilitate the swift evacuation of the assets, the Customs Service introduced dedicated examination officers and granted full waivers on accumulated storage fees and demurrage charges.
​”It is unacceptable that equipment meant to strengthen the national grid has been sitting at the ports for years,” CGC Adeniyi noted. “Working in full collaboration with the Ministry of Power, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and terminal operators, we have streamlined clearance processes to ensure all remaining containers are released without further delay.”
​Technical teams and engineers have begun inspecting the recovered items before dispatching them to ongoing transmission upgrade sites. Priority installation projects targeted for immediate deployment include strategic substations and transmission lines across key regions, including; Kaduna, Ajaokuta, Lokoja and Enugu.
​Power sector stakeholders anticipate that integrating these long-delayed components into the national grid will significantly boost power evacuation capacity, enhance voltage stability, and mitigate frequent system collapses caused by equipment failure and grid overload.
