Tegbe secures Chinese commitment to accelerate Nigeria’s power projects

By Adebola Muili

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has secured fresh commitments from leading Chinese power engineering firms and financial institutions to accelerate the delivery of Nigeria’s Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) projects and expand Chinese investment across the country’s electricity value chain.

The commitments were secured during a series of high-level engagements in Beijing as part of the ongoing Nigeria-China power sector mission, with discussions focused on turning existing partnerships into bankable projects, financed investments and completed infrastructure capable of delivering measurable improvements in electricity supply.

According to a statement made available to journalists on Thursday, the engagements, held in Beijing during the ongoing mission, focused on accelerating ongoing PPI projects and broadening Chinese participation in Nigeria’s power sector, from generation and transmission to project financing and industrial manufacturing.

At a strategic meeting with Sinomach Group and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), two major contractors involved in Nigeria’s generation and transmission programmes, Tegbe called for firm and accelerated completion schedules for ongoing PPI projects.

He also advocated a broader partnership model that would move beyond conventional engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) arrangements to include co-investment, financing, technology transfer and technical expertise.

Under the proposed model, Chinese partners would participate not only in the construction of power assets but also in financing and developing generation, transmission, hydropower and related industrial projects.

Building on CMEC’s existing presence in Nigeria, the minister outlined expectations for the partnership to deliver faster project completion, increased electricity wheeling capacity and innovative blended-financing arrangements.

Tegbe also visited the China National Electric Engineering Corporation (CNEEC), where discussions centred on expanding EPC cooperation for Nigeria’s transmission network.

The minister’s engagement with CNEEC came against the backdrop of efforts to address transmission constraints, which remain a major challenge to the effective evacuation and distribution of available electricity to homes and businesses.

As part of the mission, the Nigerian delegation witnessed a factory acceptance test for high-voltage cables and other transmission materials at Hengfei Cable’s Changsha Industrial Park.

The test is designed to verify that equipment intended for Nigerian transmission projects meets the required technical standards before shipment, helping to minimise installation delays and technical challenges after the materials arrive in Nigeria.

Beyond electricity infrastructure, Tegbe sought to link expanded power supply with industrial development by inviting Chinese companies to invest in strategic sectors with significant power requirements and strong potential to drive economic growth.

The sectors identified include steel, automotive manufacturing, digital infrastructure and data centres, cold-chain logistics and sugar processing.

Tegbe proposed the establishment of a structured Nigeria-China industrial cooperation platform to identify, assess and develop bankable projects aligned with Nigeria’s industrialisation priorities.

He said the approach would help ensure that investments in new generation and transmission capacity are matched with strong industrial demand, thereby supporting job creation while improving the commercial viability of the power sector.

The Ministry of Power said the engagements were consistent with the Federal Government’s strategy of using international partnerships to mobilise capital, expand electricity infrastructure, increase system capacity and improve the reliability of power supply.

The ministry said the ultimate objective was to translate international partnerships into completed projects and infrastructure that would deliver reliable electricity and create measurable economic value for Nigerians.