President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s electricity supply, assuring Siemens Energy of full government support for the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI).

Speaking on Monday at the State House in Abuja during a meeting with a delegation from Siemens Energy, led by Dietmar Siersdorfer, Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, President Tinubu stressed that a robust power sector is central to boosting industrial, educational, and healthcare development across the country.

“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 said, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga.

He directed the expansion of major transformer substations to enhance the nation’s electricity output.

The Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima, Finance Minister Wale Edun, Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu, and Special Adviser on Energy Olu Verheijen attended the meeting.

President Tinubu highlighted that the completion of the phased PPI will unlock Nigeria’s potential, raise the country’s stature on the continent, and stimulate economic growth while reducing poverty.

Minister Adelabu outlined recent sector milestones, including the decentralisation and liberalisation of the power sector, the signing of the Electricity Act 2023, and the development of a National Integrated Electricity Policy after 24 years, which has attracted over $2 billion in new investments.

“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,” Adelabu said, noting that Siemens Energy has installed and commissioned multiple substations and transformers nationwide, adding 984MW of transmission capacity.

Phase One of the PPI includes upgrades and new installations in Abeokuta, Offa, Ayede-Ibadan, Sokoto, and Onitsha, with two substations expected to be completed by 2026. Phase One-Batch Two will involve the construction of 16 substations, collectively delivering 4,104MW.

Siersdorfer described the PPI as a platform for long-term development and prosperity and highlighted the training of local engineers, job creation, and technology transfer as key project components.

“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. These will further reflect the strength of our partnership and the viability of the roadmap we have built together,’’ he added.

The German Ambassador’s representative, Johannes Lehne, assured continued German support for the initiative.