Relief is on the way for electricity consumers across Nigeria as power equipment that had been lying idle at the nation's ports begins moving towards deployment to the national grid.
Acting on the directive of President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Ministry of Power has facilitated the clearance of 44 containers from Apapa Port out of more than 300 containers of stranded electrical equipment, some of which have been held since 2014.
Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, announced the approval after the last Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja. He said the President directed the Ministry to work closely with the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Ports Authority to resolve the issues that had kept the equipment at the ports.
He added that the President instructed the agencies to reconcile outstanding charges to end the delays. The release of the first 44 containers demonstrates that the collaboration is already yielding results.
Tegbe stated that following clearance, technical experts would inspect the equipment, deploy serviceable items to ongoing power projects and appropriately dispose of the remaining ones.
Recall that the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), under the leadership of Engr. Jennifer Adighije, had recovered 110 abandoned containers and 216 packages, saving more than ₦30 billion and unlocking about 470 megawatts of electricity for the national grid through recovered turbines.
The clearance is part of a broader effort to strengthen the national grid and ensure that electricity generated reaches more homes and industries.
With presidential backing and enhanced cooperation between the Ministry of Power, the Nigeria Customs Service and other relevant agencies, the government is recovering equipment it has already paid for while strengthening the infrastructure needed to improve electricity supply across the country.