Follow Us on Google
President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate clearance of more than 300 containers of electricity equipment that have remained at Nigerian ports for years, with some reportedly stranded for between 14 and 20 years.
The Minister of Power, Olasunkanmi Tegbe, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.
Tegbe said the President had directed the Ministry of Power to work with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to resolve outstanding charges and customs-related issues delaying the release of the containers.
He described the prolonged detention of the equipment as unacceptable, noting that previous administrations had failed to settle the relevant charges and complete the necessary clearance procedures.
According to the minister, the government would reconcile outstanding payments where necessary to facilitate the release of the equipment.
However, he said the materials would undergo technical assessments after clearance to establish their condition and determine whether they could still be used.
Equipment found to be serviceable would be deployed to ongoing electricity infrastructure projects, while obsolete or unusable materials would be handled appropriately.
Tegbe did not disclose the total value of the stranded equipment, the amount required to settle the outstanding charges or the deadline for completing the clearance exercise.
The directive forms part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to address weaknesses in Nigeria’s electricity transmission network and improve the use of available power infrastructure.
The minister also announced that the Federal Executive Council had approved the commencement of procurement for the proposed East and West Super Grids, which are expected to increase Nigeria’s electricity transmission capacity from about 5,000 megawatts to 19,000MW within two years.
He said the proposed grids would strengthen transmission links between different parts of the country and enable the national network to accommodate more electricity.
According to Tegbe, the projects would connect strategic transmission corridors, including routes extending from Sokoto through Abuja to other locations.
He described the procurement approval as an important step towards improving the capacity and resilience of the national electricity network.
Tegbe further announced three FEC approvals aimed at addressing transmission constraints in Abuja, Lagos and the Lagos-Shagamu industrial corridor.
One project involves constructing a 33kV double-circuit underground and overhead transmission line connected to the Katampe Transmission Substation.
Other News
Another covers the design, manufacture and supply of three 300MVA, 330/132/33kV power transformers for the Ikeja West Transmission Substation, which serves Lagos and neighbouring areas.
The third project involves reconstructing and upgrading the 35.6-kilometre Itumola-Mapasin-Shagamu 132kV transmission line from a single-circuit to a double-circuit facility.
The minister said the projects were designed to reduce transmission bottlenecks, improve grid stability and accommodate growing electricity demand.
The government has also begun a nationwide technical audit of electricity infrastructure to identify ageing, weak and underperforming facilities that require repairs or replacement.
Tegbe said the exercise, which began four weeks earlier, covers three major energy zones: Lagos and its surrounding industrial corridor; the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano axis; and the Enugu-Onitsha-Benin axis.
He explained that the findings would guide future investment decisions and help the government prioritise projects needed to improve grid reliability.
On the financial challenges facing the sector, the minister disclosed that the Federal Government had paid ₦1.23 trillion out of ₦3.3 trillion owed to gas suppliers and other electricity industry stakeholders.
He said the outstanding liabilities had contributed to gas supply difficulties affecting power generation companies and limiting electricity production.
Tegbe added that the government was working to improve coordination between the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), saying clearer separation of their responsibilities would strengthen grid operations.
The government is also considering greater private-sector participation in managing power assets to improve operational performance.
The minister disclosed that construction had started on a new National Control Centre in Osogbo to replace the existing facility, which he said was built 64 years ago.
The new centre is expected to strengthen real-time monitoring and coordination of electricity transmission across the country.
He also said the government was working to energise completed transmission substations in Kano, Katsina, Bauchi and Gombe, among other locations.
On renewable energy, Tegbe said 14 federal universities had received operational solar mini-grids with capacities ranging from one to five megawatts. Another 11 universities were benefiting from similar interventions through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, while five teaching hospitals were receiving solar installations under a programme implemented with the Federal Ministry of Health.
The minister said the clearance of stranded equipment, alongside transmission upgrades, debt payments and renewable energy projects, formed part of the government’s efforts to address longstanding challenges in Nigeria’s electricity supply system.
