Minister Tegbe Exposes 20-Year Power Equipment Crisis

Minister of Power Olasunkanmi Joseph Tegbe revealed that over 300 containers of essential electricity equipment have been left abandoned at Nigerian ports for almost twenty years. This situation exemplifies a significant bureaucratic failure, as the equipment, including high-capacity transformers and cables, was intended to enhance Nigeria's national transmission capacity from 5,000MW to 19,000MW.

Despite multiple administrations borrowing billions for the National Integrated Power Project, the equipment remained stuck due to a lack of coordination among the Ministry of Power, the Nigerian Ports Authority, and the Nigeria Customs Service regarding routine port charges. This neglect has resulted in severe economic consequences, forcing Nigerian manufacturers to rely on costly diesel and generators, while small businesses suffered from power shortages.

President Bola Tinubu's directive to clear and audit the containers is a necessary step, but it highlights a deeper issue within the civil service that must be addressed to improve Nigeria's power infrastructure.