TheCable

Femi Adesina, presidential spokesperson, says President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to improve Nigeria’s electricity supply before leaving office in 2023.

Adesina spoke on Tuesday during an interview with Channels Television.

On Sunday, Buhari departed Abuja for New York to attend the United Nations general assembly (UNGA77).

The president is expected to deliver a “national speech” at the assembly on Wednesday.

Speaking during the interview, Adesina said the president’s speech will address global issues as they affect Nigeria.

Asked if Nigeria’s electricity supply challenge will be on the agenda, the presidential spokesperson said the implications of the Russia-Ukraine war on energy supply may be discussed.

Adesina said the federal government is making progress with the power deal signed with Siemens, adding that the president will do whatever it takes to achieve significant progress in electricity supply.

“In the general themes of UNGA, the energy crisis, particularly as precipitated by the Russia-Ukraine war, is something to discuss,” he said.

“But you know that at the microcosm level as it affects Nigeria, that is something that may come up in different bilateral meetings our president will hold.

“We have an agreement with Siemens, which is making progress now. It was slower at one point but in the past couple of weeks, you saw different kinds of transformers and electricity equipment coming into the country.

“I can assure you that there is progress in the relationship we struck with Siemens.

“President Buhari is determined that before he leaves in another eight months, there will be significant progress in delivering electricity and power to Nigerians and whatever it takes to do it, he will do it.”

Asked to react to the slow effect of power deals on the country’s electricity supply, the presidential spokesperson said: “Nobody will deny that Nigeria has a power problem, particularly with electricity and it has been there.

“Successive administrations have battled that problem and they have not succeeded so we cannot begin to pretend that we don’t have that issue.

“But will this administration make some progress on that issue before it exits office? It sure will. That was why the Siemens deal came into being in the first place.

“There was stalling of that Siemens deal, that has since been cleared and there is some movement. Already in some parts of the country, people will tell you that they are now experiencing better electricity supply and it can only get better.”

Buhari is expected to hand over to the next president on May 29, 2023, as the presidential election is slated for February 25, 2023.