Phase One of Siemens power project to add 7,000MW to Nigeria’s grid — FG

The Federal Government has announced that the first phase of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), implemented in partnership with Siemens AG, is expected to add 7,000 megawatts to Nigeria’s national grid through major transmission upgrades and infrastructure expansion.

The Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy to the Minister of Power, Bolaji Tunji, disclosed this on Thursday, noting that the current administration revived the project after it stalled in the later years of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.

The Siemens deal, structured as a government-to-government agreement between Nigeria and Germany, was designed to rehabilitate and modernise the transmission and distribution network, stabilise the grid, and progressively increase power supply from an average of about 4,000MW.

Tunji said the initiative lost momentum following the death of Buhari’s former Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, while the COVID-19 pandemic further delayed implementation.

He explained that President Bola Tinubu later signed an accelerated agreement with the German government to fast-track the programme, leading to the delivery of about 20 transformers, including 10 mobile substations, under a pilot phase. “So, when Tinubu came in, he signed an accelerated agreement with the German government. He was there with the former German Chancellor. He signed an accelerated agreement on the project, and that was what led to the pilot project,” Tunji stated.

According to him, Phase One has now commenced and will focus on strengthening the grid to accommodate an additional 7,000MW through the construction of new substations and the upgrade of existing ones nationwide.

He said the works cover engineering, procurement, construction and financing for upgrades of 330/132kV and 132/33kV substations, involving 14 brownfield and 21 greenfield sites, with N262.75bn approved in December 2024 for projects in Onitsha, Offa, Abeokuta, Ayede and Sokoto.

Tunji added that the project aims to improve grid stability, enhance power delivery and support economic growth, with subsequent phases expected to further expand transmission capacity and move towards the long-term 25,000MW target.