President Bola Tinubu has directed the expansion of ongoing power infrastructure projects under the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) to be implemented in three distinct phases, as part of his administration’s renewed commitment to achieving stable, reliable, and affordable electricity across Nigeria.Â
He gave this directive during a meeting on Monday at the State House, Abuja, with a delegation from Siemens Energy led by Dietmar Siersdorfer, Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa.
He commended Siemens Energy for its sustained collaboration with Nigeria under the PPI framework, initiated in 2019 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, to address the country’s power transmission and distribution bottlenecks.
Tinubu assured that his administration would provide the necessary political and financial support to complete the project’s current phases.
“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,” Tinubu said.
“The President also directed the expansion of some major transformer substations from two to three phases to boost the country’s power supply,” a statement signed by the President’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga on Monday stated.
What Minister of Power said:
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, stated that the power sector had achieved many critical milestones, including the decentralisation and liberalisation of the sector.
He noted that the President signed the Electricity Act 2023, and a National Integrated Electricity Policy was developed after 24 years, attracting more than $2.2 billion of fresh investments.
The minister noted that the policy had resulted in the activation of fifteen 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.Â
“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.”
He added that in December 2024, the Federal Executive Council approved the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract for Phase One, Batch One, covering the upgrade and installation of substations in Abeokuta, Offa, Ayede-Ibadan, Sokoto, and Onitsha.
According to him, plans for civil works and equipment manufacturing have been finalized, with two of the five substations expected to be completed by December 2026.
Phase One, Batch Two, he said, would further expand the grid with six Brownfield and ten Greenfield substations, collectively expected to deliver 4,104MW of additional capacity.
Two substations to be ready by December 2026Â
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.
He noted that a training centre was already under construction to ensure the training of local talents in electrical engineering, create more jobs, capture local content, and transfer technology.
“The PPI is not just a project but a platform for long-term development and prosperity,’’ he stated.
He informed the President that the PPI will transform Nigeria into a regional power hub, reflecting the depth of relations between Germany and Nigeria.
The German Ambassador’s representative, Johannes Lehne, assured President Tinubu of further support and collaboration with the German government.
What you should knowÂ
In 2023, Siemens announced that the deal to upgrade Nigeria’s grid would be completed 5 years before the due date in 2030.
Ministry of Power had earlier announced that as part of the early orders under the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), 10 mobile substations and 10 mega transformers are being delivered to Nigeria by Siemens.
In December 2022, the ministry said that one of the ten Siemens mobile substations, which have been manufactured and tested by Siemens at its France factory, is ready for shipping to Nigeria.
