President Bola Tinubu has directed the Ministry of Power to work with port and customs authorities to clear more than 300 containers of electricity equipment stranded at Nigerian ports, some reportedly for between 14 and 20 years.
Power Minister Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe disclosed the directive following the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, 28 October. He attributed the delays to outstanding charges and incomplete clearance procedures.
The ministry is to coordinate with the Nigerian Ports Authority and Nigeria Customs Service to resolve the obstacles. Technical experts will subsequently assess the equipment to determine which items remain suitable for use.
The directive does not establish that the containers have already been released or that their contents can immediately enter service. Equipment found to be serviceable is intended for electricity infrastructure projects, while unusable materials will require separate handling.
The clearance exercise accompanies approval to begin procurement for proposed East and West Super Grids. Tegbe said the government aimed to increase transmission capacity from about 5,000 megawatts to 19,000MW within two years. That figure remains a government target, rather than capacity already delivered.
Image: archive photograph of Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe and President Bola Tinubu, via The Guardian. Photograph date and photographer unstated.
