Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, billionaire businessman and father of popular musician Davido, has stated that he generates 15% of Nigeria’s electricity.
Speaking at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church’s General Conference Annual Council 2024 on Tuesday, Adeleke shared that his enterprises are responsible for this significant portion of the country’s power supply. He is currently working on a 1,250-megawatt power plant, which is expected to be the largest in Nigeria once completed.
“I am a businessman in Nigeria, involved in the electricity sector. I own power plants and currently generate about 15% of Nigeria’s electricity needs,” he noted.
Adeleke mentioned that he collaborates with Chinese engineering firms and is nearing completion of what will be Nigeria’s biggest thermal power plant, slated to begin operations in January.
However, he also revealed that during the preparations for this project, an unnamed government official threatened to impede its progress.
Despite facing challenges, Adeleke attributed the near-completion of the project to divine intervention, expressing gratitude for the progress made.
“While designing and securing permits, we encountered difficult government officials. Our permit was denied for environmental reasons, and one official told me directly that my project would never succeed. But as he spoke, I thought to myself that he was acting as if he were God. I silently prayed that God would hear him; whatever he said was null and void,” he recounted.
Feeling disheartened, Adeleke informed his Chinese partners that the project might face delays, noting its significant value of about $2 billion. He explained that substantial investments had already been made in design and preliminary work, and halting progress could have serious consequences.
“My Chinese friend, concerned about the involvement of Afrexim Bank of China, was worried this could lead to bankruptcy for him. I reassured him not to worry,” he said.
Adeleke mentioned that his friend eventually traveled to Nigeria to explore solutions, as he believed that prayer alone might not be enough to ensure the project’s success.