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China-Africa Trade Information Service
info.afrindex.com
China-Africa Trade Information Service
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The Federal Government has started wooing potential investors for its 2,100 hydro megawatts power projects to boost power generation, transmission and distribution across the country.
This was made known by the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, while highlighting achievements recorded by the ministry in the past three years.
Adamu stated that the National Water Resources Bill, yet to be passed into law by the National Assembly, will empower states to have control over water bodies in their domain, and would allow their people to have more access to water resources for domestic and industrial uses, and pointed out that it is a northern agenda to deny them access to water resources as misconstrued by some sections of the public.
He said that when the bill is passed into law will provide for effective catchment management, greater participation of farmers in irrigation management and a regulatory framework for private sector participation in water supply delivery in the country and will provide an opportunity for public private partnership on urban water schemes, particularly in the area of operation and maintenance.
He also said: “The National Water Resources Masterplan and our roadmap identified that Nigeria has a hydro power potential of 12, 220 megawatts. Only about 1, 930 megawatts of this potential has been developed at Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro dams.
“We are in advanced discussion with potential investor for other hydro power projects including Gurara II (350 MW), Lokoja (750 MW) and Makurdi (1000 MW), among others.
“We are currently making progress for the consessioning of 30MW Gurara hydro power plant which is planned to come into full operation soon. We are also progressing on our collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to concession the 40MW Kashimbilla Hydro Power plant, recently completed.”
