Nigeria’s customs service began releasing 98 containers of transformers, cables and switchgear on 6 November that had been left uncleared at Lagos ports for 14 to 20 years. The equipment was imported for the Ministry of Power, the Transmission Company of Nigeria and the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, and the government waived port charges to free it. President Bola Tinubu ordered the release after Power Minister Joseph Tegbe raised the case in the Federal Executive Council. Serviceable items will go to stalled substations and transmission lines, easing a grid bottleneck that limits how much generated power reaches consumers. The government aims to clear the remaining consignments within a month.
Sources
- Vanguard: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2026/11/customs-begins-evacuation-of-98-abandoned-power-equipment-containers/
- The Sun: https://thesun.ng/customs-clears-98-of-300-abandoned-power-equipment-containers-at-port-2/
- OnePageAfrica: https://onepageafrica.com/2026/11/06/nigeria-customs-releases-98-power-equipment-containers-abandoned-at-ports-in-20-years/