Obasanjo hailed as visionary behind $800m Aba power project

Onome Amuge

Olusegun Obasanjo has been lauded as the driving force behind the $800m Aba Integrated Power Project, a major infrastructure development in the country’s southeast region. 

Speaking at the commissioning of key substations within the project recently, Bart Nnaji, chairman and CEO of Geometric Power Group, credited Obasanjo’s early and unwavering support for bringing the venture to reality.

In his speech titled “The Nigerian Possibility,” Nnaji framed the Aba Integrated Power Project as an example of what Nigerians can achieve through unity and a shared vision. 

The Aba project encompasses Geometric Power Aba Ltd (GPAL), which operates a 188MW power plant fueled by a 27km gas pipeline, and Aba Power Electric, the electricity distribution arm serving a ring-fenced area comprising nine local government areas in Abia State. This area was uniquely granted permission for independent power generation and distribution during the state-owned NEPA’s monopoly, a move Nnaji emphasised was made possible by Mr. Obasanjo’s foresight during his presidency (1999-2007).

Nnaji recounted how  Obasanjo, even before the landmark 2005 Power Sector Reform Act, championed Geometric Power’s vision. He recounted the former president’s decisive intervention in securing a crucial gas supply agreement with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and its joint venture partners, a first for an independent power producer in Nigeria.

“The Aba Independent Power Project would not have been born without Chief Obasanjo’s strong and visionary support,” Nnaji stated.

He further recalled the former president’s earlier support for a 22MW emergency power plant in Abuja, built by Geometric Power, which reliably supplied power to the capital’s central business district for over two years.

The Aba project, the single largest investment in Nigeria’s southeast, includes eleven substations, a significant portion of which are brand new, alongside extensive overhead power lines, including over 100km of new 33kV lines designed to reliably supply key industrial zones. The $800m investment underscores the scale of the undertaking.

Nnaji further acknowledged the crucial roles played by other prominent Nigerians. He cited the intervention of former president Goodluck Jonathan in recognising past setbacks and the support of Afreximbank, facilitated in part by Obasanjo, which revived the project after years of delays.

Abia State Governor Alex Otti, who as a former senior banker played a key role in initial financing for the project, was also commended for his continued support.

Furthermore, Professor Nnaji acknowledged the support received from the administrations of former president, Muhammadu Buhari, particularly Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Babatunde Fashola, then minister of power, in resolving issues arising from the privatisation of power assets. He also noted the ongoing support from the current administration of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, who commissioned the project earlier this year.

He echoed the sentiment of former vice president, Alex Ekwueme, stating that “Nigeria is a miracle waiting to happen, and urged the nation to embrace the spirit of the visionaries behind the Aba power initiative.