President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Monday in Abuja, reaffirmed his administration’s strong commitment to improving Nigeria’s electricity supply and enhancing citizens’ welfare during a meeting with Siemens Energy, the technical partner for the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI).
Speaking at the State House while receiving a delegation led by Dietmar Siersdorfer, Siemens Energy’s Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, Tinubu emphasized that the power sector is vital to driving economic growth, especially in the industrial, education, and healthcare sectors.
Also present at the meeting were Vice President Kashim Shettima, Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, and Special Adviser on Energy Olu Verheijen.
The President noted that completing the phased power project would position Nigeria prominently on the African continent by unlocking the nation’s human and material potential across key sectors.
“There is no industrial growth or economic development without power. I believe that power is the most significant discovery of humanity in the last 1,000 years.
The President also directed the expansion of some major transformer substations from two to three phases to boost the country’s power supply.
He assured the delegation that the government will continue to provide the needed resources for the power project.
The Minister of Power, Adelabu, stated that the power sector had achieved many critical milestones, including the decentralisation and liberalisation of the sector and noted that the President signed the Electricity Act 2023, and a National Integrated Electricity Policy was developed after 24 years, attracting more than $2 billion of fresh investments.
The minister noted that the policy had resulted in the activation of 15 state electricity markets.
“Since the signing of the Accelerated Agreement at COP28 in Dubai in December 2023, an event you personally attended alongside the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the PPI has recorded notable milestones across its implementation phases.
“Siemens Energy has successfully delivered and commissioned 10 units of 132/33kV mobile substations, three units of 75/100MVA transformers, and seven units of 60/66MVA transformers across key load centres nationwide, which have added 984mv of transmission capacity to the grid,’’ the minister stated.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, stated that the completion of the PPI will enhance Nigeria’s ease of doing business, create more jobs for the youth, and reduce poverty.
The leader of the Siemens delegation, Siersdorfer, stated that two out of the five substations under construction are expected to be completed by December 2026, while the German Ambassador’s representative, Johannes Lehne, assured President Tinubu of further support and collaboration with the German government.