Nigeria woos Chinese investors for power sector reform

Nigeria said Monday that Chinese investors are welcome as its electricity transmission expansion program is now open for foreign investment in the form of public-private partnership.

Alhaji Mohammed Wakil, power minister of Nigeria, made the remarks at a meeting with leading stakeholders and investors from Chinese power industry in the capital city of Abuja.

The minister said in a statement reaching Xinhua that the investment in the Nigerian power sector will be safe and get adequate returns.

"I urge you all to participate in the planned power transmission project in Nigeria. The government of Nigeria is working out the participation of private sector in the transmission sub-sector under a public-private partnership," he said.

Wakil described the opportunities in the power transmission and renewable energy sector as "very attractive and sustainable."

"In the renewable sector, we are opened to both independent power producers and participants in the Private-Public Partnership," he added.

He stressed that investors in Nigeria should maintain high level of efficiency and standard.

Nigeria, Africa's top oil producer and most populous country, is intensively seeking more investment in its power industry to meet growing energy demands.