President Bola Tinubu and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz oversaw the signing of an accelerated performance agreement in Dubai on Friday. The agreement aims to expedite the implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) and was signed by Mr. Kenny Anuwe, the Managing Director and CEO of FGN Power Company, and Ms. Nadja Haakansson, Siemens Energy’s Senior Vice President, and Managing Director for Africa.
The PPI, previously known as the Nigeria Electrification Roadmap Initiative, originated from the visit of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Abuja in August 2018. A 2019 agreement between the governments of Nigeria and Germany laid the foundation for improving the power sector.
President Bola Tinubu has consistently advocated for the swift realization and expansion of the PPI, making it a focal point in bilateral discussions with the German Chancellor during meetings in New Delhi, Abuja, and Berlin.
The newly signed agreement aims to modernize and expand Nigeria’s electric power transmission grid comprehensively. Siemens will supply, deliver, and install equipment within a timeline of 18 to 24 months. The agreement also emphasizes project sustainability, maintenance, and technology transfer, including training for Nigerian engineers at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
Following the signing ceremony, Mr. Kenny Anuwe, Managing Director of the FGN Power Company, highlighted Siemens Energy’s effective delivery of crucial equipment worth over 63 million Euros since the project’s commencement. This includes mobile substations, transformers, and ongoing installations at various sites across Nigeria.
The project’s focus extends to identified load demand centers, particularly economic and industrial hubs nationwide. It includes the execution of new substations in target load centers, with an economic priority and the establishment of thousands of kilometers of overhead transmission lines connecting new and existing substations. The collaborative effort is anticipated to significantly impact Nigeria’s power infrastructure and contribute to economic development.