From Kingsley Jeremiah, Abuja
 Yesterday, Nigeria signed a $328.8 million contract with China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) under the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) to improve electricity transmission lines.
  
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, while speaking at the ceremony in Abuja, said the deal focused on the rehabilitation and construction of key transmission lines to increase the country’s power grid capacity by 7,140MW.
 
 The agreement, according to him, will see CMEC construct 330kV and 132kV transmission lines covering over 544km, which will enhance the power distribution network across the country. 
  
He said the move was expected to ease longstanding bottlenecks in the grid, enabling more efficient power delivery to homes, businesses and industries and driving economic growth.
  
The signing ceremony followed the recent delivery of 10 power transformers and 10 mobile sub-stations from Siemens Energy, which had already added over 700MW to Nigeria’s transmission capacity. 
  
The assets are being deployed across key locations, including Okene, Amukpe, Potiskum, and Apo.  The combined effort between Siemens and CMEC is part of a broader strategy to modernise and expand Nigeria’s energy infrastructure.
  
Adelabu emphasised that the CMEC contract would prevent stranded capacity and ensure that the power generated through ongoing mid-stream transmission projects could be effectively distributed across the nation. 
 
 With these improvements, he said the government aimed to significantly improve electricity reliability and accessibility for Nigerians, creating jobs and enhancing the quality of life.