- Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, announced the addition of 750 megawatts to the national grid through the Siemens Presidential Power Initiative.
- The initiative aims to modernise Nigeria’s power infrastructure, with plans to add another 150 megawatts by the end of 2024.
Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, announced a significant boost to the country’s national grid capacity, attributing the progress to the Siemens Presidential Power Initiative. Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, December 12, 2024. Adelabu revealed that the project’s pilot phase had successfully added 750 megawatts to Nigeria’s transmission capacity, marking a critical step in stabilising the nation’s fragile power grid.
Adelabu explained that the successful completion of the pilot phase has directly contributed to the grid’s relative stability today. The initiative, which began after an agreement signed at COP28 in Dubai in December 2023, involves importing, installing, and commissioning ten power transformers and ten mobile substations. Of these, eight have already been fully commissioned, with the remaining two expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Looking ahead, the minister emphasised that an additional 150 megawatts would be added to the grid by the end of 2024, marking the conclusion of the pilot phase. Adelabu reiterated the government’s commitment to upgrading Nigeria’s ageing and fragile national grid, which urgently needs rehabilitation and expansion. He expressed confidence that the ongoing Presidential Power Initiative would transform Nigeria’s energy infrastructure.
The Siemens Presidential Power Initiative, a collaboration between Nigeria and Germany, aims to modernise its power grid and improve energy access for its growing population. Adelabu also highlighted Nigeria’s dedication to renewable energy as part of its Energy Transition Plan, which seeks to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060. He pointed to the country’s vast natural resources, including abundant solar, wind, and hydroelectric potential, as key assets for achieving these goals.
“Over 30 states in Nigeria enjoy at least 10 hours of sunshine daily, and we also have access to both desert and coastal winds. With more than 300 dams nationwide, there is immense untapped potential for hydroelectric power,” Adelabu stated. He also emphasised the importance of improving road networks, such as the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway and the Badagry-Sokoto road, to enhance access to these energy resources.
Additionally, the minister underscored the role of off-grid power systems in addressing Nigeria’s energy challenges. He proposed a distributed power model in which each of the country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would have its own generating plants to provide backup power in case of national grid failures.
Germany remains a crucial partner in Nigeria’s energy transformation. The German development agency, GIZ, has played a key role in grid extension and renewable energy projects, and private German investors are showing interest in Nigeria’s solar, wind, and hydroelectric sectors. Although no new agreements were signed during the recent discussions, Adelabu emphasised that the focus is on accelerating existing contracts.