The Federal Government is soliciting for partnership with UNIDO in the development of small dams to boost power generation.The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs. Rabi S. Jimeta mni at a meeting with UNIDO delegation on Wednesday 30th November, 2016 stated that with the potentials of over 254 small dams in the country, Nigeria in partnership with UNIDO can boost power generation if all their activities are streamlined. She called on UNIDO to tap into the enormous potentials of the country’s small dams.
Speaking further, Mrs. Jimeta 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. She added that, “the Federal Ministry of Water Resources has the mandate for hydropower development in Nigeria because the ministry is the custodian of all the small dams in Nigeria”.
The Permanent Secretary called 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 that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be signed between the Ministry and UNIDO for future cooperation on Small Hydro Projects development programmes in the country.
The Project Manager, UNIDO Headquarters, Mr. Jossy Thomas said that there has been a long existing relationship between the UNIDO and the Ministry of Water Resources in the area of Small Hydro Power Projects in dams.
He said 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.
Margaret E. Umoh
Director (Information & Public relations)
FMWR
