The Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, celebrating with Professor Barth Nnaji on his 70th birthday, described him as excellence exemplified and a transformational leader.
Speaking as the Chairman of the occasion held at the International Conference Center Enugu, the Former President Obasanjo reiterates that true success is measured by the positive impact one leaves on institutions and society, as is evident in the impact of the celebrant, Prof Nnaji.
“For me, success is when you get to a place and make it better than you met it. By that definition, Prof. Barth Nnaji has succeeded,” Obasanjo declared.
“We are here to celebrate your success, excellence, achievement, and exemplary leadership. Happy birthday, and may your success continue,” Obasanjo eulogized.
The birthday symposium, themed “Powering Tomorrow: 70 Years of Engineering the Common Good,” held at the International Conference Center, Enugu, in honor of the former Minister of Power, was well attended by dignitaries.
In his goodwill message, the Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, represented by his Special Adviser on Infrastructure and Power, and Deputy Chief of Staff, Sadiq Wanka, described Nnaji as a relentless innovator whose contributions have transformed Nigeria’s electricity landscape.
Commending Nnaji’s Geometric Power project in Aba and the Aba Ring-Fenced Electricity Model, the Vice President described these innovations as sustainable solutions capable of addressing the country’s electricity challenges if replicated nationwide.
Hence, he urged state governments and stakeholders to support the expansion of the Aba model across Nigeria to improve electricity supply and stimulate economic growth.
Delivering the keynote address, the Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II, described Nnaji as a courageous entrepreneur whose resilience ensured the successful completion of the Aba Integrated Power Project despite enormous bureaucratic, regulatory, and financial obstacles.
Sanusi decried the bottlenecks faced by entrepreneurs, which make it difficult to build industries in Nigeria; “entrepreneurs like Nnaji deserved national recognition for investing in the real economy.”
“Without people like Prof. Nnaji, we will not have a real economy or a sustainable future,” Sanusi said.
Many other dignitaries showered praise on the celebrant for his resilience, overcoming the nation’s electrical challenges, and his many outstanding accomplishments.
In his response, Prof. Nnaji expressed gratitude to the distinguished guests for honoring him and thanked successive administrations, financial institutions, and development partners for their support, which made the Aba Integrated Power Project possible.
Prof Nnaji expressed special gratitude to former President Obasanjo for approving the landmark project during his administration, describing the decision as visionary and instrumental to its eventual success.
Nnaji also acknowledged the continued support of Vice President Shettima and the Presidency for infrastructure and power sector reforms, while appreciating Governor Otti of Abia State for standing by the Geometric Power project during its most challenging periods.
The symposium attracted several high-profile dignitaries, including former Nigeria’s First Lady, Uche Azikiwe; former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi; Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator Kelvin Chukwu; President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Azuta Mbah; members of the National and State Assemblies; religious leaders; traditional rulers; captains of industry and other distinguished guests.
“In the field of global engineering, Professor Barth Nnaji is recognized as one of the pioneers and creators of the E-Design (Electronic Design) concept. Long before broadband internet became commonplace, he helped design the framework where engineers scattered across different continents could collaboratively design, assemble, and test products together in a virtual, networked environment.”
“In 2000, he founded Geometric Power Limited, Nigeria’s first indigenous private power development company, making him a major trailblazer in Africa’s private power landscape. Under this initiative, he built the Aba Integrated Power Project (Aba IPP) in Abia State.”
