The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced the evacuation of 98 out of 300 containers of critical power equipment that have remained trapped at Lagos ports for up to two decades.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, flagged off the exercise on Friday in Apapa alongside the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe. The trapped consignments—imported by the Federal Ministry of Power, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), and Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC)—contain high-capacity transformers, cables, and switchgears.
Adeniyi disclosed that the intervention followed a directive by President Bola Tinubu after a presentation at the Federal Executive Council. President Tinubu ordered the immediate resolution of administrative bottlenecks and outstanding charges to release the equipment.
‘In line with that presidential directive, this service has commenced the immediate clearance of more than 200 containers of power equipment,’ Adeniyi said. ‘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 Tincan and other ports will also be released.’
The clearance was facilitated through waivers on accrued port charges approved by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele.
Adeniyi sharply criticized government contractors who collect public funds, import project equipment, and abandon the items at ports without executing contracts. Labeling such actions as ‘economic sabotage,’ the Customs chief warned that the agency will collaborate with oversight bodies to audit all long-abandoned government consignments across national borders.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe noted that the recovered equipment will be inspected by technical experts to reinforce ongoing transmission projects, relieve overloaded substations, and boost grid capacity nationwide.
