Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, a billionaire businessman and father of popular music star David Adeleke (Davido), has asserted that his ventures contribute to 15 percent of Nigeria’s electricity supply. Speaking at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church’s General Conference Annual Council 2024 on Tuesday, Adeleke detailed his significant involvement in the energy sector.
He announced that he is in the process of constructing a 1,250-megawatt power plant, which, once completed, will be the largest thermal power plant in Nigeria. “I am a businessman in Nigeria; I’m in the electricity business. I own power plants. I generate presently about 15 percent of the electricity needs of Nigeria,” he stated.
Adeleke highlighted that his project is nearing completion and is expected to become operational in January. He mentioned that he collaborates with Chinese engineering companies to facilitate the construction of this major facility.
However, he also revealed challenges faced during the project’s development, including an unnamed government official who allegedly threatened to halt its progress. Despite this setback, Adeleke attributed the near completion of the project to divine intervention, emphasizing his belief in God’s power over bureaucratic obstacles.
“During the course of the design and getting the permit, we ran into difficult government officials. For environmental reasons, our permit was denied, and the particular government official told me that my project would never see the light of day. But I was thinking, this guy is talking as if he is God,” he explained.
Adeleke further noted that despite the obstacles, he remained hopeful and reassured his partners, including those involved with the Afrexim Bank of China, about the project’s future viability. He expressed confidence that the $2 billion project would not be derailed, underscoring his determination to see it through to completion.