President Bola Tinubu emphasized the urgency of power sector reform on Monday, stating that an improved and reliable electricity supply is directly linked to the country’s core national objectives, including job creation, education, and health.
The President made the remarks while receiving a delegation from Siemens Energy, led by Dietmar Siersdorfer, Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, at the State House in Abuja.
President Tinubu stressed that reliable electricity is the bedrock of industrialization. “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 asserted.
He connected the government’s commitment to fully completing the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) with Siemens Energy to the broader goal of improving living standards across the nation. “Our education, our health care and our transportation all depend on energy and without power, it is an impossible objective. We are taking it very seriously,” he added.
The President noted that the incremental completion of the PPI would secure Nigeria “a place of pride on the continent” and unlock the nation’s vast human and material potential. “I appreciate the partnership on the initiative. The progress of the project to date is notable, and we can feel it. But it is not where we want it to be. We appreciate the support and commitment of the German government and Siemens. The investment you are making and your commitment align with the future of this country,” he stated.
President Tinubu also directed that major transformer substations be expanded from two to three phases to immediately boost supply capacity. He assured the delegation of continued government support, saying: “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 banishment of poverty.”
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, provided an update on the PPI, noting that the sector has made significant strides, including decentralization and liberalization following the signing of the Electricity Act 2023. This policy shift has already attracted over $2.2 billion in new investments.
Regarding the progress of the Siemens partnership, Adelabu confirmed substantial milestones: “Since the signing of the Accelerated Agreement at COP28 in Dubai in December 2023, the PPI has recorded notable milestones across its implementation phases.”
Detailing the tangible outcomes of the initial work, he reported: “Under the Pilot Phase (Phase Zero), we have achieved significant infrastructure upgrades and capacity enhancements that are already impacting grid stability and reliability across the country. 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 984MW of transmission capacity to the grid,” the Minister added.
Phase One is now moving into full-scale implementation, with Adelabu stating that the Federal Executive Council had approved the start of the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract for Phase One, Batch One of the PPI, which covers substations in Abeokuta, Offa, Ayede-Ibadan, Sokoto, and Onitsha.
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, emphasized the economic multiplier effect of the initiative, stating that the project’s completion would enhance Nigeria’s ease of doing business, create jobs, and reduce poverty.
Dietmar Siersdorfer of Siemens Energy affirmed that the PPI would “transform Nigeria into a regional power hub,” benefiting both local engineers and communities. He specified the local content impact: “Nigerian professionals will be engaged directly in the five project sites in Batch 1 for the site works, while thousands of jobs will be enabled in the local communities through purchased services, accommodation, and transportation, among others.”
Siersdorfer concluded by characterizing the project as a catalyst for future prosperity: “The PPI is not just a project but a platform for long-term development and prosperity.”
The German Ambassador’s representative, Johannes Lehne, reiterated Germany’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s power sector reforms.
