Nigeria, Germany sign agreement to improve electricity

Nigeria and Germany have signed an agreement aimed at expediting the implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) to improve electricity supply in Nigeria.

The agreement, consummated on the sidelines of the COP28 climate summit, was signed by the Managing Director and CEO of FGN Power Company, Kenny Anuwe, and Siemens Energy’s Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Africa, Nadja Haakansson, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Friday, December 1, 2023.

According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the PPI, formerly known as the Nigeria Electrification Roadmap Initiative, was the outcome of the visit of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Abuja in August, 2018.

An agreement was signed between the governments of Nigeria and Germany in 2019 to improve the power sector.

President Bola Tinubu, since assuming office, has consistently advocated the accelerated realization and expansion of the PPI.

To achieve this, the project has been a major focal point in three rounds of bilateral discussions at several meetings between President Tinubu and the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, in New Delhi, Abuja, and Berlin.

Ngelale noted that the agreement signed today will see to the end-to-end modernisation and expansion of Nigeria’s electric power transmission grid with the full supply, delivery, and installation of Siemens-manufactured equipment under the time line of 18 to 24 months.

The presidential spokesman added that the agreement will ensure project sustainability and maintenance with full technology transfer and training for Nigerian engineers at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

Speaking after the signing ceremony, Anuwe highlighted Siemens Energy’s effective delivery of crucial equipment worth over 63 million Euros to the country since the project commenced.

He said: “This includes 10 units of 132/33KV mobile substations; 3 units of 75/100MVA transformers, and 7 units of 60/66MVA transformers, currently being installed by FGN Power Company at various sites across Nigeria.

“The project will also focus on identified load demand centres with a particular emphasis on economic and industrial hubs nationwide; execution of new 330kV and 132/33KV substations in target load centres with economic priority, in addition to thousands of kilometres of overhead transmission lines to connect new substations with existing ones.”

The Star

Segun Ojo