The Federal Government has announced plans to invest $800 million in the construction of substations and distribution networks under the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI). Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed this during a visit to the TBEA Southern Power Transmission and Distribution Industry in Beijing, China.

The investment will be split into two lots: $400 million for Lot 2, covering Benin, Port Harcourt, and Enugu DISCOs, and $400 million for Lot 3, covering Abuja, Kaduna, Jos, and Kano DISCOs.

Adelabu expressed concern over DISCOs' inability to manage power supply, which led to a 1,400-megawatt reduction in generation capacity. Despite this, the government aims to increase power generation to 6,000 megawatts by year-end.

The Minister reaffirmed the government's commitment to collaborating with world-class organizations to achieve President Bola Tinubu's vision for the power sector. He highlighted the need to address outdated transmission and distribution infrastructure, which has hindered industrial growth, with 59% of Nigerian industries relying on self-generated power.

Adelabu noted that power generation increased from 4,000 megawatts to 5,170 megawatts within a year under the current administration, aiming to reach 6,000 megawatts by year-end and 30 gigawatts by 2030, with 30% renewable energy.