By Christiana Ekpa
The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee investigating Nigeria’s power sector reforms and expenditure from 2007 to 2024 has summoned the Minister of Water Resources, heads of key water management agencies, and signatories to the 2005 concession agreement for the 40MW Dadin-Kowa hydropower project.
The summons was issued on Wednesday by the Committee Chairman, Arch. Ibrahim Almustapha Aliyu, after a presentation by Mabon Generating Company, concessionaire of the Dadin-Kowa Hydropower Plant, revealed gaps, delays and inconsistencies that lawmakers described as unacceptable, during a hearing at the National Assembly.
Aliyu directed the committee secretariat to summon the Minister alongside the Managing Director, Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority; the Managing Director, Hadejia–Jama’are River Basin Development Authority; the Chief Executive of the Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission; the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), and the individual signatories to both the original concession and the subsequent addendum.
The officials are to appear before the committee on 4 December 2025.
Aliyu said the committee was compelled to invite all parties involved in the 2005 build-operate-and-transfer (BOT) agreement following revelations that nearly 20 years into the 25-year concession, the project has suffered prolonged delays, addendums, approval bottlenecks and unclear responsibilities among government agencies.
He noted that although Mabon Generating Company had signed the agreement after inspecting the facility and declaring it fit for the intended 40MW generation capacity, the company later cited challenges and bottlenecks that forced an addendum to the original concession terms.
“From 2005 to date, 20 years have gone. You entered into an agreement after confirming the facility was fit. Now, midway, you suddenly realise there are challenges,” Aliyu said, questioning the due diligence conducted by both the company and supervising authorities.
The chairman said the situation had taken “a multifaceted dimension,” with serious concerns about whether government officials fulfilled their obligations and whether taxpayers were sufficiently protected in the long-term arrangement.
The committee also requested the submission of the report of the appraisal committee that reviewed the initial concession and recommended an addendum, as well as all documents relating to performance assessment, generation output, gaps, and payment issues.
“When you appear, come with the report of the appraisal committee that led to the addendum,” Aliyu directed.
Mabon Generating Company said it has supplied over 700 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity to the national grid since 2021 and has not received any grants or direct loans from the Federal Government since the project’s inception in 2005.
