The Federal Government has expressed a willingness to partner with private sector investors in providing alternative renewable energy in a bid to transform Nigeria’s economy.
The plan to improve power generation is expected to serve a section of the populace.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, stated this on Tuesday when he received a delegation from Total Group, led by its Chairman/CEO, Mr Patrick Pouyanne, who paid him a courtesy call at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said the Federal Government would be ready to partner with the private sector that has indicated interest in making investments not only in oil and gas but also in electricity/renewable energy.
“There is a lot of work that has been done to provide off-grid alternatives such as solar power. We have done quite a bit through the Energizing Economies Initiative, to provide electricity to Nigerians in economic clusters.
“It would be interesting to see some pioneering efforts in this area of renewable energy; it is a good opportunity to do something in this area and would be a major contribution to Nigeria’s energy needs.”
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The Vice President applauded the group for contributing to the growth of the economy through increased local content, noting that he hoped for a more robust relationship between the group and the Federal Government.
In his remarks, Pouyanne said the group has achieved a high percentage of local content participation in one of its projects (Egina FPSO) in Nigeria.
“Our commitment to the country is strong and we have the ambition to continue to be a long partner with Nigeria. Total is a leader in solar (energy) and we want to invest in all these fields in Nigeria,” Pouyanne said.