Germany, Nigeria renew Energy Pact to boost Power supply

The Federal Republic of Germany and the Nigerian Federal Government have renewed the existing partnership agreement between both countries on the development of the energy sector in Nigeria.

The renewal of the German-Nigerian Energy Partnership which was established in 2008, is aimed at ensuring the continuation of the very fruitful energy pact between Germany and Nigeria.The new agreement which was signed on Tuesday in Abuja by two representatives, one each from both countries, is expected to run for the next five years.

A Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Ambassador Godknows Igali represented Nigeria while German State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office, Prof. Braun, represented Germany at the signing of the document.

Meanwhile, some of the completed and on-going projects under the partnership include,  the construction of the Geregu I and II gas power plant by Siemens in Kogi State, which was only recently commissioned by President Goodluck Jonathan, the continued work by E.ON against the flaring of gas (reduces green house gas emissions, prevents waste of valuable resource) and the preliminaries of solar power projects (pv) totalling over 500 MW in the north, some of which are planned to enter construction stage next year.

Speaking at the event,  Prof.  Braun underscored the mutual interest in the Partnership and commended the Federal Government’s reform programme in the energy sector. He also applauded the reform of the regulatory framework for the energy sector in Nigeria, including the privatization process which, according to him, has opened the door for growing business-to-business engagement and an increase in investments in Nigeria’s power generation.

He equally harped on the need to establish in Nigeria a broader and more stable energy supply as a prerequisite for sustainable development, economic prosperity and political stability, adding that cooperation with the German government might be of immense benefits to the different regions that constitute Nigeria.

“German technology does not only power state-of-the-art gas power plants in the South, but can also contribute to the electrification of even the most remote areas in the North through stand-alone solar units”, he said.

The German State Secretary, also drew the attention to the recently launched Nigerian Energy Support Programme in which Germany and the European Union (EU) together will channel 24 million Euro to the development of Nigeria’s electricity sector over the next five years, supporting the provision of renewable energy and the electrification of rural areas, as well as the uptake of energy efficiency measures.