Ministry, Firm to Partner on Hydro Power Devt
As part of efforts towards improving electricity generation and supply in the country, Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, has said that the ministry is willing to partner North South Power Company Limited in the development of existing dams for power generation.
Suleiman stated when the board members of the North South Power Company Ltd, led by its Chairman, Mallam Ibrahim Aliyu paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
In a statement released to journalists in Abuja, the minister described the partnership as a good development and a demonstration that Nigeria now has competent hands in handling such issues, which were hitherto left in the hands of foreigners.
The statement, which was signed by the Director (Information & Public Relations), Margaret Umoh also revealed that the ministry is considering to also partner the private sector in the development of the new and existing infrastructure for the development of small hydro power schemes.
It further added that the ministry in partnership with the Ministry of Power has set up a Steering Committee on how well the ministry can concession the small hydro power schemes for adequate power generation. The Committee, according to the minister would come up with regulations and information that would attract would-be investors in the sector.
Responding, the Chairman of the company, Mallam Ibrahim Aliyu said that the partnership with the ministry would be achieved by building the powerhouse and installing the electro-mechanical components to generate power from some of the dams they have identified.
He said, some of the assets of the ministry identified for used to increase the power generation of the country include the 30megawatt Gurara 1 Hydropower plant in Kaduna, 10mw Tiga dam Hydro Power plant in Kano, 10mw Oyan dam Hydro Power plant in Ogun, 8mw Challawa dam Hydro Power plant in Kano and 6mw Ikere dam Hydro Power plant in Oyo state.
He added that the company would raise money from their projects to explore viable opportunities in those identified areas without calling on government for financing, adding, that under the joint venture, the ministry and the North South Power Company Ltd will jointly develop the projects and share revenues accruing from the sale of electricity in the proportion of each party’s contribution.