WELCOMES TRAINING OF 5,000 NIGERIAN ENGINEERS UNDER PPI
Thursday in Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to its collaboration with Siemens and the German government to enhance the country’s electricity generation.
Receiving Siemens Energy AG officials at State House, the President encouraged them not to relent in ensuring that the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) is delivered as promised to Nigerians.
The President informed the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Siemens Energy, Dr. Christian Bruch, the CEO of Siemens Africa, Nadia Haakansson, and the CEO of Siemens Nigeria, Mr. Seun Suleiman, that the outcome of the collaboration will provide vital business enablers and opportunities for young Nigerian entrepreneurs to engage in a variety of endeavors.
The President also lauded the initiative’s training of 200 Nigerian engineers in network development studies, stating that this constitutes a “quite significant upskilling and transfer of expertise”
The President stated that he anticipates the training of 5,000 engineers by the conclusion of the program.
Recalling his earlier promise to Nigerians to improve electricity supply by resolving capacity deficits across the sector’s value chain, the President praised the German Government, through former Chancellor Angela Merkel, for generously supporting the country, which led to the signing of an MOU with Siemens.
He also praised Chancellor Olaf Scholz for the continuous backing of the PPI by the German government.
“The primary focus of PPI Phase I is now a plan to deliver capacity upgrades of 2,000 Megawatts at the transmission-distribution interface.”
In April 2022, the Honorable Minister of Power briefed me on the outcomes of his talks with Siemens executives in Germany.
This visit was effective in underlining the need to speed the delivery of the pilot PPI project, components of which have already begun to arrive in the country.
The Honorable Minister also indicated that you, Dr. Bruch, will visit Nigeria, and we are delighted to have you with us today.
The PPI remains a top priority for our administration, and Nigerians are confident in Siemens’ ability to deliver value.
“We spare no expense to ensure that the lives and livelihoods of our folks are improved,” he stated.
President Buhari expressed joy at the significant progress made on the PPI’s implementation arrangements, noting that Siemens will activate the first two power transformers in November 2022.
“I was given the assurance that 10 Power Transformers and 10 Mobile Substations would be delivered and installed in full by May 2023,”
This is despite the production difficulties and limits caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a significant impact on worldwide production and supply chain.”
The Nigerian leader commended the German government for permitting Euler Hermes to provide insurance coverage for the financing of the PPI pilot project, stressing that this will serve as a model for future phases.
The President acknowledged that the overarching frameworks for technical and commercial arrangements are being finalized and stated, “However, I would want to see the full transaction process concluded by December 2022. This will establish the PPI’s mandate in absolute terms.”
The Minister of Power, Engr Abubakar Aliyu, congratulated the President for his “outstanding vision for the PPI,” adding that Nigerians will be grateful to him long after he leaves office “because the power sector will be rejuvenated.”
Siemens, he said, is one of the world’s top power companies and “will certainly deliver.”
Dr. Christian Bruch, after expressing his compassion for the Nigerians affected by the present tragic flood, stated that his team was fully dedicated to the PPI and that “we will push on in the coming weeks and months because we need to move the process forward more quickly.”
In addition, he pledged to continue trainings and the enhancement of capacities, stating that despite the upcoming general elections in Nigeria, “the power project will continue, as we are totally dedicated and will speed up the process.”
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
October 20, 2022