FG proposes 11 hydropower projects to generate 3,932 MW

• Says Nigeria has hydropower potential of 12,220MW

By our correspondent 

The Federal Government has released details of eleven hydropower plants it plans to build across the country to generate a cumulative 3,932 megawatts of electricity. 

The Minister of Water Resources, Engineer Sulaiman Adamu gave the breakdown while presenting the scorecard of President Muhammadu Buhari administration in the water sector in Abuja yesterday. 

The list of the hydropower projects include the Gurara II Hydropower Project, Niger State (360 MW), the Kiri Hydropower Project, Adamawa State, (36 MW), the Itisi Hydropower Project, Kaduna State (40 MW), the  Bawarku Hydropower Project, Benue State (182 MW), and the Makurdi Hydropower Project, Benue State (1,500 MW). 

Others are the Katsina-Ala Hydropower Project, Benue State (460 MW), Farin-Ruwa Hydropower Project, the Nasarawa State (20 MW), Manya Hydropower Project, Taraba State (182 MW), the Tede, Oyo State (220MW), the Mangu, Plateau State (182MW), and the 

 Lokoja, Kogi State (750MW). 

He disclosed that Nigeria has Hydropower potential of 12,220MW.The Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro Dams, he said, account for 1,930MW of the country’s current hydropower potential.

He added that to further boost energy sufficiency in hydropower generation, the Ministry has completed and/or concessioned the following: Gurara Hydropower Project, Kaduna 

State (30 MW), 2017 Kashimbila Hydropower Project (40 MW), 2017 Dadin-Kowa Hydropower Project. 

Engineer Adamu said in providing access to potable water in Nigeria, 6,761 water schemes were developed across urban, small towns and rural areas of the country, and producing 794,334,000 litres per day which serve 32,008,600 Nigerians.

He said out of the 36 inherited ongoing water supply projects, 30 have been completed, some closed or transferred to State governments. 

He also listed  ongoing priority dam projects to include the  Mangu Dam, Plateau (17.8 MCM) – 85% 

completed; the Ingawa/Dallaje Dam, Katsina State, (19.5 MCM) – 70% completed; the Ile-Ife Dam, Osun State (14 MCM) – 40% completed, the Ogbesse Dam, Ekiti State (73.46 MCM) –67.5% completed, and the Kontagora Dam, Niger State (345 MCM) –57% completed. 

The list also includes the  Irawo Dam, Oyo State (9.5 MCM) – 65% completed, the  Nkari Dam, Akwa Ibom (3.5 MCM) – 46% 

completed, and the Jare Dam, Katsina State (7.2 MCM) – 40% 

completed.