Adedeji Adeleke, father of renowned artist Davido, recently shared the challenges he faced while securing an environmental permit for his $2 billion power plant project.
The billionaire businessman discussed these obstacles during his address as a Layperson representing the West-Central Africa Division at the Seventh Day Adventist General Conference Annual Council, held in Maryland, USA.
Reflecting on his experience as a Baptist, Adeleke spoke about encountering resistance from certain government officials, one of whom bluntly told him the project would never “see the light of day.”
Undeterred, he turned to prayer, refusing to accept the official’s statement as the final word for his company, Pacific Energy, which was collaborating with Chinese engineering firms on the power plant’s design and construction.
“I am a businessman in Nigeria. I’m into the electricity business. I own a power plant, I generate about 15 percent of the electricity needs for Nigeria. I have Chinese engineering companies that work for me. I’m building the biggest power plant in Nigeria that will be completed in January 2025. It is a 1,250-megawatt power plant.
“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 officials that I held a meeting with told me to my face that my project would never see the light of the day. But while he was saying that, I was saying in my mind that this guy is talking as if he is God. I was saying in my mind that God should listen to him; Because he is not God, whatever he is saying is null and void.”
“So, I was disappointed and I told my Chinese friends that unfortunately we have difficulty and this project is going to stall. Meanwhile, the project is worth about $2 billion. In the process, a lot of money had already gone into the design and preliminaries. Before we get to the stage where we would need a permit and then break ground. So my Chinese friend was worried because the Afrexim Bank of China was involved so that meant bankruptcy for him. I told him not to worry,” he said.
Adeleke emphasized that his Chinese colleague felt compelled to travel to Nigeria for a direct discussion, doubting that prayer alone could ensure the project’s success.
However, he acknowledged that it did, as the then-Minister of Power granted approval after recognizing the project’s potential. It’s worth noting that Adeleke had previously mentioned this power project during a lecture at Adeleke University’s 9th graduation ceremony in Ede, Osun State, in July 2023.