The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced the clearance of more than 300 containers of stranded power sector equipment at the nation’s ports, following a presidential directive to remove longstanding administrative and financial bottlenecks delaying critical electricity projects.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Friday, November 6, 2026, during a press briefing at Apapa Port, Lagos, where he joined the Minister of Power to flag off the release of the first 44 containers.
Adeniyi explained that the equipment, which includes high-capacity transformers, cables, switchgear and other transmission materials, had remained uncleared at the ports for between 14 and 20 years.
He said the clearance exercise followed a presentation by the Minister of Power at the Federal Executive Council, after which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the immediate release of the consignments and the resolution of outstanding charges and administrative challenges.
According to the Customs chief, another 54 containers at other terminals will be released in subsequent phases, as the Service collaborates with the Federal Ministry of Power, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to fast-track the exercise.
He noted that Customs had introduced special facilitation measures, including priority processing, dedicated officers for joint examination and the implementation of approved waivers on accumulated charges.
The CGC explained that following their release, technical experts would assess the equipment to determine their serviceability. Items considered fit for use would be deployed to ongoing and abandoned power projects, including transmission corridors and substations across the country, while obsolete materials would be disposed of in line with existing regulations.
Adeniyi commended the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, for approving waivers on accumulated charges, as well as the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for granting waivers on demurrage fees.
He said the approvals had eliminated major financial obstacles that kept critical national infrastructure assets trapped at the ports for years.
The Customs boss, however, expressed concern over the activities of contractors who import equipment for government projects but abandon the consignments at the ports without executing the projects for which public funds were allocated.
Describing such conduct as economic sabotage, Adeniyi warned that the practice deprives Nigerians of essential infrastructure, employment opportunities and improved public services.
He disclosed that the NCS would work with supervising ministries and relevant oversight agencies to identify government-owned consignments abandoned at the ports and make the information available to ensure that defaulting contractors are held accountable.
Reaffirming the Service’s commitment to the Federal Government’s efforts to revitalise the power sector, Adeniyi urged ministries, departments and agencies with uncleared consignments at the ports to engage the Customs Service promptly to prevent further delays to projects critical to national development.
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