TRIBUNE

Nigeria, General Electric open partnership talks

15.01.2008

Nigeria has opened discussions with General Electric (GE) with a view to entering a partnership towards massive infrastructural development of the country, especially within the power sector.

President Umaru Yar’Adua, leading a team of officials, told Mr. John Rice, Vice President of GE, that the administration recognised the need to fast-track the development of infrastructure in critical sectors as power and energy, gas gathering, cleaning and downstream grid as well as railways.

“We need this partnership in our effort to develop Nigeria and transform it to be among the 20 top nations in the world by 2020 and we know that GE has the capacity to deliver in this partnership,” the President said.

On the power sector, President Yar’Adua said if Nigeria would meet its 2020 target, it had to produce at least 30,000MW of power by 2015, adding that the proposed partnership would ensure the attainment of that target.

The President also said the country needed expertise from GE to address the National Integrated Power Projects, offer suggestions and solutions to get the plants working, adding that there was also lack of integrity of the distribution network.

He said since GE was already a major player in Nigeria, with the supply of turbines for electricity generation, over 100 aeroplanes with GE engines, locomotives, as well as oil and gas equipment using GE technology, the company should consider the establishment of a centre of excellence in the country.