President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s determination to improve electricity supply across Nigeria, pledging full government support for Siemens Energy in the implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI).
Speaking during a meeting with a delegation from Siemens Energy led by Dietmar Siersdorfer, Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, at the State House in Abuja on Monday, the President said his administration views energy as the cornerstone of national development and economic growth.
“There is no industrial growth or economic development without power,” Tinubu said. “I believe that power is the most significant discovery of humanity in the last 1,000 years. Our education, health care, and transportation all depend on energy, and without power, these objectives are impossible. We are taking it very seriously.”
He expressed appreciation to the German government and Siemens Energy for their commitment to the initiative, describing the PPI as critical to Nigeria’s economic recovery and poverty reduction goals.
The President directed the expansion of some major transformer substations from two to three phases to boost supply and assured that the government would continue to provide the necessary resources to ensure the project’s completion.
“We are all inspired and happy. This is what we want to achieve on the continent. We want everyone to see the glory of our economic recovery and the banishment of poverty,” Tinubu added.
The meeting was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun, and Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen.
Significant Milestones in Power Reforms
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, highlighted major milestones recorded under Tinubu’s administration, including the decentralisation and liberalisation of the electricity sector and the passage of the Electricity Act 2023.
He noted that since the signing of the Accelerated Agreement at COP28 in Dubai in December 2023, the PPI has achieved key progress across its implementation phases.
“Under the Pilot Phase (Phase Zero), we have achieved significant infrastructure upgrades that are already impacting grid stability and reliability across the country,” Adelabu said.
“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 nationwide, adding 984MW of transmission capacity to the grid.”
He added that the Federal Executive Council had approved the commencement of the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract for Phase One, Batch One of the project, which includes five key substations in Abeokuta, Offa, Ayede-Ibadan, Sokoto, and Onitsha.
Two of the five substations are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, while plans are underway for Phase One, Batch Two, which will include 16 substations with a combined impact of over 4,100MW.
Siemens Commits to Job Creation, Technology Transfer
Siersdorfer told the President that Siemens is constructing a training centre in Nigeria to develop local talent in electrical engineering, promote job creation, and boost technology transfer.
“The PPI is not just a project but a platform for long-term development and prosperity,” he said, adding that the initiative will transform Nigeria into a regional power hub and deepen economic ties between Nigeria and Germany.
He also disclosed that Nigerian professionals would be directly engaged at all project sites, while thousands of indirect jobs would be created through local services and logistics support.
Representing the German Ambassador, Johannes Lehne assured the President of continued collaboration between both countries to ensure the success of the power initiative.