The Federal Government has secured the release of 44 containers of electricity equipment that had been stranded at the Apapa ports, with some of the containers reportedly abandoned since 2014.
The development followed a directive by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordering the Ministry of Power to work with relevant government agencies to resolve the challenges preventing the release of more than 300 containers of electrical equipment held at various ports across the country.
A statement issued on Thursday by Adeola Adelabu, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, quoted the minister as saying that the move was part of the government’s efforts to strengthen the national electricity grid and improve power supply nationwide.
Tegbe disclosed this after the last Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, explaining that Tinubu had directed the Ministry of Power to collaborate with the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Ports Authority to remove the bottlenecks delaying the release of the equipment.
He said the agencies were working to resolve outstanding issues, including the reconciliation of accumulated port charges, to ensure that the electrical materials could be recovered and put to productive use.
According to the minister, the successful clearance of the first 44 containers represents significant progress in the government’s efforts to recover the equipment.
He explained that technical experts would inspect the recovered materials to determine which ones were still in good condition and suitable for deployment in ongoing electricity projects. Equipment considered unusable would be disposed of through appropriate procedures.
The minister stressed that recovering the stranded equipment would help the government maximise the value of resources already invested in the power sector while supporting efforts to improve electricity transmission and distribution across the country.
He added that the Federal Government was committed to recovering electrical equipment previously purchased with public funds and ensuring that available infrastructure was effectively utilised to deliver better electricity services to homes and businesses.
The latest development follows earlier efforts by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) to recover abandoned electricity equipment.
The company, under the leadership of its Managing Director, Engineer Jennifer Adighije, had previously recovered 110 abandoned containers and 216 packages, a move that reportedly saved the government more than ₦30 billion.
The recovery exercise also contributed to unlocking approximately 470 megawatts of electricity for the national grid through the recovery of previously abandoned turbines.
The Federal Government is expected to continue working with relevant agencies to recover the remaining stranded containers and make usable equipment available for electricity projects.
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