OpeOluwani Akintayo
Lagos — Minister of Power, Sale Mamman has said Nigeria will send employees of Nigeria’s 11 electricity distribution companies, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, and regulators to Egypt for training in the ongoing Presidential Power Initiative, PPI project being handled by German firm, Siemens AG.
A statement by the minister revealed that Siemens is expected to provide general technical training on core competency areas on all the equipment and software being provided by the power firm for the project.
According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the ministry of power to collaborate with the Egyptian government, and the arrangement will see the delegates from Nigeria’s power sector visit Egypt to understudy the country’s own success story with Siemens.
Mamman said there was need for Nigeria look at the success story of how Egypt had successfully rehabilitated and restored its power sector through its collaboration with Siemens.
“The president had reasoned that obtaining more information from Egypt will enable our country to maximise our agreement with Siemens towards the total overhaul of our power grid and distribution systems,” he said.
The Federal Executive Council, FEC had in July last year, approved payment of €15.21 million (about N6.9 billion) offshore and N1.708 billion onshore as part of Nigeria’s counterpart funding for the project.
Mamman assured that the ministry would leverage on the development, not only concerning the Siemens project but also on renewable energy which he said is highly needed to supplement Nigeria’s national power grid.