Babatunde Raji Fashola, (SAN) Minister of Power, Works and Housing says Nigerians should expect another 30 megawatt of electricity to complement the National Grid by early 2017.
The electricity addition expected early next year will come from the multi-purpose dam located at Gurara in Kaduna.
Fashola, who dropped the hint after undertaking a working tour of the facility says that the Ministry of Water Resources is the main driver of the project.
According to the Minister, Ministry of Water Resources is concerned about how the dam could be put to optimum use, hence it regulates the issuance of water licences, provide water for domestic use through water works, while those of in the power sector use the water for generation of electricity. Also tourism component, irrigation and agriculture are all embedded in the Gurara project.
The Minister is optimistic of the planned completion of the project; the one at Kudenda also in Kaduna State and that of Kashimbila, in Taraba State.
All these projects are aligned to Government policy contained in the Road-Map of incremental power supply which will not only be addressed but would be guaranteed, Fashola says.
He assured that all the bottlenecks that have caused delay in realizing this project would be removed, adding that considerable progress already made would be harnessed, ’’the delay in completion of power evacuation plan of this and Kudenda through Mando Sub-station in Kaduna State would also be completed as their activities are complementary to each other’’.
“Another important benefit inherent in the project is that it will help us address the lingering problem of over-dependence on gas, which we all know now that it is susceptible to incessant vandalism by militants in the Niger Delta Region’’, Fashola says while adding that, “the time has come for Nigeria to develop a robust energy mix by harnessing all other energy sources so as to have a reliable, safe and un-interrupted power supply available in quality and quantity.”
Babatunde Adewunmi, Project Consultant, while briefing the Minister on the status of the project promised him that all the objectives of Government on the project would be realized, just as he assured that the project will be delivered on time.
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