Federal government and the government of the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to guide the implementation of President Barack Obama’s Power Africa Initiative (PAI).
On his trip to Africa last year, President Obama had unveiled the initiative to help boost Africa electricity power supplies, adding about 10,000 megawatts (mw)across Africa.
Six countries were selected as the first tranche of countries to benefit from the initiative and Nigeria is one of them.
Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo signed on behalf of the federal government and the US ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, James F. Entwistle, signed for his country. The minister expressed Nigeria’s gratitude to be considered as one of the first beneficiaries.
He informed that the country had over the years benefited from the US largesse since it embarked on the power sector reform.
He said the US contributed a lot in the policy formulation for some of the agencies forming the reform process of the power sector.
He further said the US, through USAID, had trained Nigerians from different fields of endeavour, adding that the US had chosen not to be a bystander in Nigeria’s effort to reform its power sector.
Also, the US Ambassador said Nigeria was important to his country and that the initiative would go along a way in kick starting the economy.
As first benefits of the initiative to Nigeria, a US energy company, Global Edisson Corporation (GEC) signed an MoU to build 1500mw thermal plant and 70mw solar power manufacturing company.
Disclosing this after the signing, senior vice president for Africa, GEC, Peter Nwangwu, said the 70mw solar company when built would be the largest of such project in Africa.
