The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have announced the release and evacuation of 98 out of 300 containers of power equipment that had remained trapped at Nigerian ports for more than 20 years.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Friday in Apapa, Lagos, during the flag-off of the evacuation exercise.
Adeniyi said the consignments contained high-capacity transformers, cables, switchgear and other transmission equipment imported through the Federal Ministry of Power and government agencies, including the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Niger Delta Power Holding Company.
He explained that equipment imported for critical power projects had remained uncleared at the ports for several years, with some consignments stranded for between 14 and 20 years.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu ordered the immediate clearance of the equipment following a presentation by the Minister of Power at the Federal Electricity Council.
The President also directed relevant agencies to resolve outstanding charges and administrative bottlenecks without delay, Adeniyi said.
“In line with that presidential directive, this service has commenced the immediate clearance of more than 200 containers of power equipment. Today, I am here with the Honourable Minister of Power to flag off the release of the first 48 containers from ENL Terminal. Another 50 containers at other terminals in Tin Can and other ports will also be released,” he said.
The Customs boss said the service was working with the Federal Ministry of Power, TCN, the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, the Nigerian Ports Authority and other stakeholders to complete the exercise as quickly as possible.
He added that the NCS had deployed all facilitation measures within its mandate, including priority processing of consignments, dedicated officers for joint examinations and the application of approved waivers or charges covering the period the goods remained at the ports.
Adeniyi said technical experts would inspect the equipment to determine their condition, adding that serviceable items would be deployed to ongoing and planned projects, including transmission corridors and substations across the country.
He noted that obsolete equipment would be disposed of in accordance with existing regulations.
The Comptroller-General acknowledged the support of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, for approving waivers on the charges imposed on the consignments.
Adeniyi also criticised contractors who imported equipment for government projects but abandoned them at the ports without executing the projects for which public funds had been committed.
He warned that such actions deprived Nigerians of the electricity, jobs and other services the projects were expected to provide.
According to him, contractors who accept government projects, receive payment and fail to deliver should be regarded as engaging in economic sabotage.
He said the Customs Service would work with the supervising ministry and relevant oversight agencies to identify government consignments abandoned at the ports under similar circumstances.
“We are not talking about only power sector equipment. We are talking about so many other imports that are brought into our country. We hear of donations, we hear of items that are brought in by international organisations, by global agencies,” Adeniyi stated.
He reaffirmed the service’s commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s efforts to revive the power sector and ensure the completion of critical projects.
“We urge all ministries, departments and agencies with consignments at ports to engage with Nigeria Customs and Border Protection so that no project critical to national development is held back at our ports or at our border stations,” he said.
Earlier, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the affected containers contained equipment procured for projects aimed at expanding Nigeria’s transmission network, easing pressure on overburdened substations and improving the country’s electricity delivery capacity.
