BY TAIBAT  UMMI YAKUBU

The Federal Government has secured the release of 98 containers of electricity transmission equipment that had remained trapped at Nigerian ports for more than a decade, in a development expected to boost efforts to strengthen the country's struggling national power grid.

The release marks a major step towards recovering critical infrastructure that could help address transmission challenges, reduce pressure on overloaded substations and improve electricity supply across the country.

Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Tegbe, announced the development in Lagos, according to a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by his spokesperson, Adeola Adelabu.

The minister disclosed that 44 containers were evacuated from the ENL Terminal, while another 54 were released from the APMT and Sun & Moon Terminals, bringing the total number of recovered containers to 98 out of more than 300 still held at various ports.

However, the government did not disclose the circumstances that led to the seizure or prolonged detention of the equipment by the Nigeria Customs Service.

The recovered cargoes contain high-capacity transformers, electrical cables and switchgear originally purchased to expand the national transmission network and improve the capacity of substations struggling with excessive loads.

Tegbe explained that keeping the equipment at the ports for such an extended period had seriously affected important transmission projects, leaving several substations under pressure while valuable public assets were exposed to possible deterioration.

He added that the prolonged delay had also resulted in mounting demurrage and other port-related charges, creating additional financial burdens for the country.

According to the minister, Nigerians have continued to bear the consequences of the delay, as businesses spend more money on alternative electricity sources, households struggle with frequent power interruptions and public institutions face difficulties maintaining essential services.

Tegbe attributed the breakthrough to President Bola Tinubu's directive ordering the immediate clearance of the stranded equipment.

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He said he subsequently worked with the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, to facilitate the release and prevent further delays.

Adeniyi confirmed that the Customs Service had begun working with the Ministry of Power, the Nigerian Ports Authority and terminal operators to ensure the containers were cleared.

He assured the minister of the agency's continued cooperation until all outstanding containers were released, while appealing to terminal operators to support the government's efforts to recover the equipment.

The Ministry of Power disclosed that an inspection of the recovered materials showed that most of the equipment remained useful and viable despite spending several years at the ports.

It explained that once the remaining containers are evacuated, the equipment will undergo verification, testing and necessary refurbishment before being transported to designated project sites.

The materials are expected to be deployed to complete abandoned or stalled installations, ease pressure on overloaded substations and strengthen transmission lines in areas experiencing network constraints.

The ministry expressed optimism that putting the recovered equipment into operation would help reduce electricity interruptions caused by overloaded infrastructure, improve voltage stability and increase the capacity of the national grid to transmit electricity to homes, businesses and essential public facilities.

It also assured Nigerians that it would monitor the entire recovery process, including the transportation, installation and eventual commissioning of the equipment, while providing updates on efforts to secure the release of the remaining containers.

The government expressed confidence that the outstanding cargoes would be cleared without further unnecessary delays, describing the recovery exercise as an important step towards converting idle public assets into infrastructure capable of delivering tangible improvements to electricity consumers.