The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has disclosed that the Federal Government is set to kick off the implementation of the first phase of the Siemens power project, designed to add 7,000 megawatts to the national grid and by so doing improve electricity supply nationwide.
Adelabu, who made this disclosure while receiving a delegation from the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) in his office to assess Nigeria’s progress on the Mission 300 energy access target, confirmed that the government had already achieved an additional 700 megawatts under the Presidential Power Initiative to meet the growing electricity demand in the country.
The Mission 300 initiative is targeting electricity access for 300 million Africans by 2030.
He explained: “We are enhancing grid extension and expansion through programmes such as the Presidential Power Initiative, which has generated an additional 700 megawatts for us. We are moving to the first phase of the Siemens project, which will also add an additional 7,000 megawatts to our generation and also stabilise it.”
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According to a statement by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media, Bolaji Tunji, he described the estimated billing regime in Nigeria’s electricity sector as a rip-off on consumers, promising that the government is working to ensure every consumer gets accurately metered for fairness and accountability in the electricity market.
Adelabu said: “Our metering initiative is going on so that our consumers can get the accurate value of their consumption, as the estimated billing is a rip-off on them.”
While reiterating the government’s commitment to achieving Mission 300 as the country has been making progress in implementing the programme, he assured the GEAPP’s delegation that Nigeria would continue to strengthen its partnerships with global energy organisations to fast-track the implementation of Mission 300 and improve access to affordable, clean, and reliable electricity for Nigerians.
In her remarks, the GEAPP’s Partnerships Director, Africa and leader of the delegation, Labna Bhayani, expressed satisfaction with Nigeria’s achievements under the present administration.
She said: “We are really impressed with what we have heard from you. You have made significant progress in your policy reforms, such as in your grid and off-grid programmes. It is important for us to get involved in the area of technical assistance that you have mentioned, and I think we can provide collaboration and partnership in that area.”
Bhayani explained that GEAPP has been providing philanthropic and technical support to countries advancing clean energy access.
The civil advocate clarified: “Even though we do not give loans like the World Bank and the African Development Bank, as we are just philanthropic, we will provide assistance where we feel we need to, to help you provide clean energy to your people.”
