Germany and Nigeria Collaborate to Boost Power Supply

By Obafemi Oredei

IBADAN, Nigeria – Germany and Nigeria have recently signed an agreement to expedite the implementation of a power project spearheaded by Siemens AG. This collaborative effort between the two governments, which was initiated in 2019, aims to enhance the power sector in Nigeria.

The project's primary objective is to provide a reliable power supply of 7,000 megawatts by 2021, which will subsequently increase to 11,000 megawatts by 2023. In the final phase, the project plans to achieve an overall grid capacity of 25,000 megawatts. However, progress on the project has not been as swift as anticipated.

According to a statement from the office of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, "The agreement signed today will facilitate the comprehensive modernization and expansion of Nigeria's electric power transmission grid. Siemens will fully supply, deliver, and install their state-of-the-art equipment within a timeline of 18 to 24 months."

The signing ceremony took place in Dubai during the COP28 climate summit. Kenny Anuwe, the Managing Director and CEO of the Federal Government of Nigeria's Power Company (FGN Power Company), and Nadja Haakansson, Siemens Energy's Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Africa, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.

Anuwe stated that Siemens Energy has already delivered equipment worth over 63 million Euros to Nigeria since the project commenced. The focus of the project will be on designated load demand centers, with particular attention given to economic and industrial hubs.

With a population exceeding 200 million, Nigeria currently provides an average of 4,000 megawatts of power, leaving residents, homeowners, and businesses without an adequate and consistent power supply on a daily basis. Consequently, they heavily rely on electric generators.