Nigeria To Partner UNIDO To Boost Power Generation
The Federal Government is seeking to partner with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to develop small dams in order to boost power generation in Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs Rabi Jimeta, made the disclosure at a meeting with UNIDO delegation in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
Mrs Jimet stated that with the potentials of over 254 small dams, Nigeria can partner with UNIDO to boost power generation if all their activities are streamlined.
She also appealed to UNIDO to tap into the enormous potentials of the country’s small dams.
The government official called for the transfer of the Regional Centre of Small Hydro Project to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, to ensure its effectiveness and sustainability.
“The Federal Ministry of Water Resources has the mandate for hydro-power development in Nigeria because the ministry is the custodian of all the small dams in Nigeria,” she said.
The Permanent Secretary also sought for the transfer of the AMOKE SHP project to the ministry which has been abandoned since 2010, despite the provision of 1.2 Megawatts turbine equipment by UNIDO and the Japanese Government.
She hinted on Wednesday that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be signed between the Ministry and UNIDO for future cooperation on Small Hydro Projects development programmes in Nigeria.
On his part, the Project Manager, UNIDO Headquarters, Mr Jossy Thomas, noted that there has been a long existing relationship between the agency and the Ministry of Water Resources in the area of Small Hydro Power Projects in dams.
He explained that the purpose of the meeting was to look at other areas of possible collaboration and also to scale up its activities in Small Hydro Power Projects.
“Our intention is not just to provide light to people of the various communities where our projects are sited, but to also turn the communities to the economic hub of the nation”, he said.