The Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAEng) has urged the Federal Government to accelerate the implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) and upgrade the national electricity grid to achieve a supply capacity of 25,000 megawatts (MW), describing the move as critical to resolving Nigeria’s long-standing electricity challenges.
Key highlight:
- The Nigerian Academy of Engineering has called on the Federal Government to fast-track the implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) and upgrade the national grid to achieve a capacity of 25,000MW.
- Prof. Rahamon Bello stressed the need for urgent reforms, infrastructure expansion, and increased investment in renewable energy to address Nigeria’s persistent electricity shortages.
- NAEng identified financial instability and liquidity challenges as major problems in the power sector and pledged technical support for the government’s ongoing power sector financial reforms.
- The Academy recommended the issuance of specialised bonds to settle debts owed to gas suppliers, saying this would improve gas availability for electricity generation.
- NAEng urged increased investment in renewable energy sources such as solar and hydropower and announced that its 2026 Apex Events will promote innovation, mentorship, and engineering excellence.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Academy’s 2026 Apex Events in Lagos, NAEng President, Prof. Rahamon Bello, stressed the need for urgent reforms, infrastructure expansion and increased investment in renewable energy to address the country’s widening electricity supply deficit.
Bello revealed that the Academy recently conducted a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s power sector and developed a policy document containing recommendations aimed at tackling persistent structural and operational challenges.
According to him, financial instability remains one of the biggest obstacles confronting the sector.
“The chronic liquidity squeeze in the power sector demands aggressive financial engineering,” Bello stated.
He commended the Federal Government for initiating reforms in the industry and pledged the Academy’s technical support for the ongoing Presidential Power Sector Financial Reforms Programme.
“The Academy commends the Federal Government’s bold initiative and strongly endorses the Presidential Power Sector Financial Reforms Programme. We are prepared to provide the necessary technical backing to ensure its success,” he said.
Bello advocated the issuance of specialised bonds to clear debts owed to gas suppliers, arguing that such a move would improve fuel availability for power generation and enhance electricity supply nationwide.
“We strongly advocate for the immediate issuance of specialised bonds to systematically liquidate gas supply debts and unlock steady power for Nigerians in their homes, businesses and industries,” he added.
The engineering expert also called for the immediate execution of the Presidential Power Initiative, describing it as essential for strengthening the national grid and expanding electricity access.
“We urge the implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative without delay to upgrade the supply capacity of the national grid to 25,000MW,” Bello said.
He further emphasized the need for a diversified energy mix through greater investment in renewable energy sources such as solar and hydropower.
“Efforts to improve power generation must be complemented by the aggressive pursuit of renewable energy initiatives, including solar, hydro and other green energy projects,” he noted.
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Bello also outlined activities lined up for the Academy’s 2026 Apex Events, which are designed to promote innovation, mentorship and engineering excellence.
According to him, the programme includes the Academy’s Annual General Meeting, where members will review the institution’s activities over the past year and elect new Fellows.
The event will also feature the third Annual National Innovation Competition Exhibition, providing young innovators and engineering entrepreneurs an opportunity to showcase cutting-edge technologies and solutions to investors and industry stakeholders.
Activities will culminate with the Technology Dinner and Awards Night, where innovators, partners and sponsors will be honoured for their contributions to engineering and technological advancement in Nigeria.
