President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s determination to transform Nigeria’s power sector, pledging full support to Siemens Energy in the delivery of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), designed to strengthen the country’s electricity infrastructure and boost economic productivity.
Speaking on Monday at the State House, Abuja, during a meeting with a delegation from Siemens Energy led by Dietmar Siersdorfer, Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, the President said the government is committed to ensuring reliable power supply as a foundation for industrialisation, education, healthcare, and improved livelihoods.
There is no industrial growth or economic development without power, Tinubu declared, adding that Power is humanity’s most significant discovery in the last 1,000 years. Our education, healthcare, and transportation all depend on energy, and without it, development is impossible. We are taking this very seriously.
The President directed the expansion of major transformer substations from two to three phases to enhance supply across the country, adding that the completion of the project would position Nigeria as a continental leader in energy-driven development.
Tinubu, joined by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, and Special Adviser on Energy Olu Verheijen, expressed appreciation to the German government and Siemens for their ongoing collaboration, noting that their investment aligns with Nigeria’s long-term growth agenda.
We are inspired by this partnership and the progress so far. The work is not yet done, but we can already feel its impact, he said.
We want the world to see the glory of our economic recovery and the banishment of poverty.
In his presentation, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu highlighted the government’s recent milestones, including the Electricity Act 2023, which liberalised the power sector and opened opportunities for state participation. He said the reforms had attracted over $2.2 billion in fresh investments and activated 15 state electricity markets.
Adelabu noted that since the Accelerated Agreement signed at COP28 in Dubai with Siemens, the PPI had achieved major infrastructure upgrades, improving grid stability and reliability.
Under the Pilot Phase, Siemens Energy has delivered and commissioned 10 mobile substations, three 75/100MVA transformers, and seven 60/66MVA transformers nationwide, adding 984MW of transmission capacity to the grid, he said.
He disclosed that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract for Phase One, Batch One of the project in December 2024, covering substations in Abeokuta, Offa, Ayede-Ibadan, Sokoto, and Onitsha.
He added that two of these are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, while preparations are ongoing for Phase One, Batch Two, which will include 16 substations, six brownfield and ten greenfield, with a combined impact of 4,104MW.
Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun said that completing the project would enhance Nigeria’s ease of doing business, create youth employment, and accelerate poverty reduction.
On his part, Siemens regional head Dietmar Siersdorfer described the PPI as a platform for long-term development and prosperity, noting that it would turn Nigeria into a regional power hub. He announced that a training centre was under construction to build local engineering capacity and promote technology transfer.
Nigerian professionals are being engaged directly across the five project sites, while thousands of local jobs are being created through service contracts, accommodation, and logistics, he said.
Representing the German government, Johannes Lehne reaffirmed Berlin’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Nigeria in the power sector and beyond.
