By JKNewsMedia
NIGER IA’s DRIVE to develop local capacity in the power sector has received a boost after Chinese equipment manufacturer TBEA committed to establishing a power and energy equipment industrial park in the country.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the commitment followed a high-level meeting between the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, and TBEA at the company’s headquarters in Beijing during his working visit to engage original equipment manufacturers and technical partners of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI).
He said the proposed industrial park would position Nigeria as a manufacturing and export hub for critical power sector equipment, moving the country beyond imports towards local production while creating jobs and building a base of indigenous suppliers.
Tegbe also described TBEA as a long-term strategic development partner rather than simply a contractor, reaffirming the Federal Government’s drive to attract investors that bring technology transfer and local capacity alongside capital.
TBEA also renewed its commitment to accelerate the delivery of ongoing transmission and distribution projects across the country. The projects include works expected to unlock more than 2,000MW of stranded capacity for consumers and strengthen bulk power supply to the Federal Capital Territory.
The energy minister then pressed for faster completion of PPI works and urged the extension of planned grid infrastructure to the East West corridor.
He stressed the government’s insistence that contracted and substantially developed projects must be brought to completion so Nigerians can begin to realise their benefits.
The meeting also explored the feasibility of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Nigeria, opening another potential area for investment as the country’s grid modernises around renewable energy and storage technologies.
Further outcomes of the Beijing engagement also point to a broader push to transform Nigeria’s power sector from one that imports equipment to one that develops local manufacturing capacity, while improving the delivery of available power to homes and industries.
Tegbe described the government’s pursuit as a power sector capable of supporting industrialisation and sustained economic growth.
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