FG Releases 44 Containers of Abandoned Power Equipment, Over 300 Await Clearance at Nigerian Ports

The Federal Government has commenced the recovery of hundreds of containers of electricity equipment abandoned at Nigerian ports, some dating back to 2014, in a renewed effort to strengthen the country’s struggling power infrastructure.

The first 44 containers have been released from the Apapa Port in Lagos out of more than 300 containers awaiting clearance, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive to recover the stranded public assets.

Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, disclosed the development after the recent Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja.

According to the minister, Tinubu directed the Federal Ministry of Power to work with the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Ports Authority to resolve the administrative and financial bottlenecks responsible for the prolonged delays.

The challenges reportedly included outstanding port charges and other unresolved clearance requirements.

Tegbe described the release of the first 44 containers as a significant step towards recovering critical electricity assets and accelerating infrastructure development.

He explained that technical experts would inspect the recovered equipment to establish its condition and determine whether it could be deployed for ongoing electricity projects.

He added that serviceable equipment would be integrated into relevant power projects, while damaged or unusable materials would be appropriately disposed of.

The latest development follows earlier recovery efforts by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), led by Managing Director, Engr. Jennifer Adighije.

The company reportedly recovered 110 abandoned containers and 216 packages, saving more than ₦30 billion and facilitating the recovery of turbines associated with approximately 470 megawatts of electricity generation capacity.

The Federal Government said the intervention forms part of efforts to unlock stranded public investments, recover valuable electricity infrastructure and address longstanding challenges affecting power generation and distribution.

However, beyond recovering the containers, Nigerians will be looking for tangible improvements in electricity supply.

The critical questions remain: How much of the recovered equipment is still functional? How quickly will it be deployed? And will the recovery translate into more reliable electricity for households and businesses?

For millions of Nigerians battling unreliable power supply and rising electricity costs, the real measure of success will not be the number of containers released from the ports, but the amount of additional electricity ultimately delivered to the national grid.